Awaab’s Law: What to expect

Last updated: 17th February 2025

The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (`England) Regulations 202, also known as Awaab’s Law, is now officially in force, bringing in strict timescales for tackling damp and mould hazards, as well as responding to emergency risks. This blog outlines what your duties are, how phase 2 of Awaab's Law will change things, and how to ensure compliance. 

Prefer to listen? In our recent podcast episode, our Professional Services Director and Head of Consultancy broke down what the new requirements mean for your organisation, highlighting what leading landlords are doing now to stay compliant, and sharing how you should be updating your damp, mould, and condensation processes, procedures, and practices to align with Awaab's Law.

In this blog: 

• How the phased implementation of Awaab's Law will work. 
• Awaab's Law Summary.
  
• Hazards in scope.
  
• Who does Awaab's Law apply to?

As of 20th July 2023, the much-anticipated Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 (the Act) received Royal Assent and became law, paving the way for the most significant social housing legislation reforms in over a decade. The Act brings positive change and transformation within the social housing sector by strengthening tenants’ damp and mould rights and ensuring they live in safe, good quality homes devoid of health risks posed by building hazards.

The Act emerged from the Social Housing Green Paper, as a direct result of the Grenfell Tower disaster in 2017. It makes provision for increased regulator intervention, including powers to issue uncapped fines to landlords and ‘performance improvement plan notices’ if landlords fail to meet repair standards. Most notably, the Act introduced Awaab’s Law, a legal obligation for landlords to act promptly on housing hazards, which plays a crucial role in the government's social housing reforms.

Awaab’s Law, officially known as the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (`England) Regulations 2025, came into force in its first phase on 27^th October 2025, introducing strict new timescales for social landlords to identify, investigate, and resolve hazards in tenants’ homes within. The law follows the October 2025 government Awaab's Law guidance.

Looking for more expert insights into your requirements under Awaab's Law? 

Download your FREE Housing Provider’s Guide to Awaab’s Law to navigate your legal requirements under this new damp and mould legislation, insights on effective resident communication, and assess your current damp and mould management approach with our handy checklist.

Awaab's Law Phased Implementation

Over the next few years, Awaab's Law will be implemented with a phased approach: 

• From 27th October 2025: Social landlords are legally required to address all emergency hazards and all damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm to tenants within fixed timescales.
  
• In 2026: The requirements will expand to apply to a wider range of Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) hazards beyond damp and mould. These additional hazards will include:
  • Excess cold and excess heat.
  • Falls associated with baths, etc.
  • Structural collapse, and explosions.
  • Fire, and electrical hazards.
  • Domestic and personal hygiene and food safety. 
• In 2027: This will extend further to apply to all remaining HHSRS hazards (excluding overcrowding) where there is a significant risk of harm. 

Official guidance has now been published by the government to help landlords navigate the new responsibilities. Click here to access the guidance.

What is Awaab's Law? 

Awaab's Law is an amendment to housing legislation in the UK, proposed in honour of the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in December 2020. Awaab suffered respiratory issues caused by prolonged exposure to black mould in his home. The family reported the mould as a severe health risk to their social housing provider who failed to deal with the issues and root cause of the mould, and they and campaigners highlighted the injustice that social housing tenants can face and the necessity for legal provisions to be implemented.  

This landmark law is the most significant change to how the sector operates in the past decade, as the first piece of legislation to introduce timescales that landlords must address hazards within and is an important step towards protecting tenants and preventing other tragedies from happening in the future.

Catch up on our recent webinar, 'Awaab's Law in Practice: Your Questions Answered', to hear our experts exploring and answering questions from organisations across the sector and sharing lessons learnt from the first few weeks of Awaab’s Law being in place. 

Awaab's Law Summary 

These new rules for landlords mean you must:

• Investigate potential emergency hazards immediately and if confirmed, complete safety work as soon as reasonably practicable, and always within 24 hours.
  
• Investigate potential significant hazards within 10 working days.
• Provide written findings to tenants within 3 working days of any investigation concluding.
• Carry out safety work within 5 working days where a significant hazard is identified.
• Begin or take steps to begin supplementary works (to prevent recurrence) within 5 working days, or as soon as reasonably possible and no later than 12 weeks.
• Complete works satisfactorily within a reasonable period. Social landlords must ensure all work under Awaab’s Law is carried out to the required standard, by appropriately qualified staff or contractors and does not create any further issues, or compromise other safety features as a result of completing required safety works.
• Secure suitable alternative accommodation (at the landlord’s expense) if hazards cannot be resolved within the required timescales. 'Suitable' alternative accommodation must take into account the needs of the household, including ensuring adequate space for tenants, considering the location of the property, considering disability or medical needs, and ensuring there are no further hazards in the accommodation.
• Keep tenants updated and provide advice on how to stay safe while works are ongoing.

Diagram one shows a simplified process to support understanding of Awaab’s Law timeframes resolving a significant or emergency hazard.

Within 3 working days of any investigation concluding, landlords must issue a written summary (unless the hazard has already been fully resolved). This must state:

• Whether a significant or emergency hazard was found.
• What action is required, and timescales for completion.
• If no action is required, why not.
• Contact details for the landlord.

For further insights into categorising significant and emergency hazards, head over to our dedicated blog, 'Awaab's Law in Practice: Emergency, Significant, and Routine Hazards'. 

Failure to meet these obligations can leave a landlord in breach of the law unless they can show they used all reasonable endeavours.

Those who fail to comply with the new landlord rules risk being taken to court, where they may be issued with enforcement orders and required to pay compensation and legal costs, as well as forfeit rent if their properties are deemed uninhabitable.

To undertake investigations and resolve hazards, it is crucial that you take reasonable steps to gain access to the property. This could include working with the tenant to arrange a suitable time to visit the property, making multiple attempts at various times of the day, and making best efforts to engage with tenants. 

To find out more about gaining access to conduct an in-person inspection, read our blog, 'No Access and Awaab's Law: Challenges and practical lessons', here.

Appointing a qualified, third-party damp and mould surveyor will ensure you can meet these new timescales and stay complaint. Our experts are on hand to help you navigate your damp and mould hazards with our specialist Damp and Mould Surveys tailored to your building's needs. Don't just take it from us; discover how we helped Bolton at Home to undertake 800 urgent Damp and Mould Surveys by reading our case study here.

Hazards in scope

A hazard is in scope if it:

a) Is part of a building or land the landlord is responsible for.
b) Falls within the landlord’s control to repair.
c) Is not the result of tenant breach of contract.
d) Arises from defects, disrepair or lack of maintenance.
e) Is classed as a significant or emergency hazard.

Unlike the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), hazards do not need to reach Category 1 level. Awaab’s Law requires a person-centred assessment: landlords must consider the tenant’s health, vulnerabilities and circumstances. For example, damp and mould could be a significant hazard for an elderly tenant with respiratory illness, even if it scores as Category 2 under HHSRS.

Once that threshold is met landlords must:

• Investigate within 10 working days.
• Share findings with the tenant within 3 working days of the investigation concluding.
• Start remedial works within 5 working days, or within 12 weeks if the works are complex.
• Decant the tenant if the home cannot be made safe in time.

Who does Awaab's Law apply to? 

Awaab's Law primarily applies to social landlords, with all guidance aimed at social landlords. However, on 17th July 2024, the government announced a new Renters' Rights Bill which will extend Awaab's Law to the private landlords in addition to social landlords. 

Applying Awaab's Law to temporary accommodation is also being consulted on to achieve the best outcomes. 

The Scottish Government has also announced its intention to amend the Housing (Scotland) Bill, expanding ministers' powers to set timescales for social landlords to investigate disrepair and begin repairs.

What does Awaab’s Law mean for Social Housing landlords?  

Awaab’s Law forms part of the social housing tenancy agreement, meaning tenants are able to hold their landlord to account if they fail to comply. Failure to adhere to the required timescales would make the landlord liable for breach of tenancy, resulting in fines or legal action, in addition to being responsible for putting their tenant’s safety at risk. The Act also makes provision for requiring the landlord to provide safe alternative accommodation for the tenant, at no cost to them.

If the tenant rejects the offer of suitable alternative accommodation, they can choose to stay with family or friends instead or choose to stay in their home whilst the property is made safe. Social landlords should therefore make it clear to tenants that they have a choice whether to accept or decline an offer of alternative accommodation, but should make the risks of staying in the home clear to tenants, before the end of the initial remediation period or as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter. 

Understanding your tenants’ rights regarding damp and mould in social housing is vital for ensuring a safe living environment. For more information about what your tenants' rights are, read our dedicated blog here. 

Hazards, including damp and mould, must be repaired and monitored to ensure they have been eradicated from the property and the root cause addressed. It is important to note that while urgent repairs must be completed within the specified timescale, given the recurring nature of damp and mould, it is important for landlords to return to the property in the following months to ensure the root cause remediation was effective. The underlying cause of damp and mould in social housing could also be linked to the building construction; therefore, to conduct a thorough investigation and treatment of the mould, the property may need further investigation and monitoring.   

When do the legal duties start?

The “clock” begins the moment a landlord becomes aware of a potential hazard (day 0). Awareness may come from:

• Routine inspections or visits.
• Investigations of related hazards.
• Notifications from contractors, regulators, or third parties.
• Reports from tenants (or someone acting for them).

Timescale start the next working day (Day 1). 

Four types of investigations

There are four types of investigation:

• Standard: Within 10 working days of awareness. These inspections can be remote unless the tenant requests an in-person visit and they must identify whether a significant/emergency hazard exists and what work is required.
• Renewed: If a tenant requests an in-person inspection after a remote one. The 10-day timescale resets.
• Emergency: Within 24 hours where there are reasonable grounds to believe an emergency hazard exists. This can be remote if appropriate.
• Further: Where more specialist investigation is needed (e.g. structural survey). Initial safety work must still be completed promptly while this takes place.

Investigations must be carried out by competent staff or specialists with the relevant knowledge and skills. 

Repairs and further works

If a hazard is confirmed:

• Emergency hazards: Works must be completed within 24 hours.
• Significant hazards: Safety works must be completed within 5 working days.

If supplementary preventative works cannot be started within 5 working days (due to specialist labour, materials, or regulatory approvals), steps must still be taken within 5 days to arrange them. Works must begin within 12 weeks.

Your next steps

The Housing Ombudsman, Richard Blakeway, warned organisations that bolting Awaab's Law on to existing policies will not work. He commented: "one of the things we really need to avoid with Awaab’s Law is the kind of Frankenstein procedures where [it] is just bolted on as an extra thing, or to an existing process or into an existing policy, because that will create a monster", highlighting the need for Awaab's Law to be carefully considered and integrated within your approach.

It is crucial that you understand your current requirements and prepare for phase 2 of Awaab's Law coming into force in 2026. The government has published guidance documents to help landlords understand the new requirements here.

You can also join our Awaab's Law Training course to discover expert insights on understanding Awaab’s Law and its implications for housing providers, how to create and maintain compliant processes and documentation, and maintaining effective tenant communication and record-keeping strategies.

Secure your place on our Awaab's Law Training here.

Your next steps to ensuring compliance:

• Review whether current processes meet the new timescales.
• Check contractor capacity and update contracts if needed.
• Assess staffing levels and training needs for investigations and decants.
• Review record-keeping systems for accuracy and auditability.
• Update access procedures and tenant communication processes.
• Test decant procedures and capacity.
• Familiarise staff with the government guidance.

Ultimately, Awaab’s Law has been introduced to hold landlords legally accountable for making repairs within strict deadlines, as well as proving the importance of tenants’ health and safety. Awaab’s Law represents a pivotal moment in the social housing sector; it is helping ensure that tenants’ homes are safe and fit to live in, and most importantly, it may save lives.