What is Awaab’s Law?
- Awaab’s Law requires social landlords to take 24-hour action for emergency hazards, a 24-hour timeframe for investigating and making safe significant hazards like damp and mould, and the inclusion of these rules in tenancy agreements to provide legal accountability. The law is phased, with more hazards being covered in 2026 and 2027.
Why is Awaab’s Law being introduced?
Two-year-old Awaab Ishak died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by “extensive mould” in the one-bedroom flat he lived in with his parents in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (“RBH”) which owned the flat was stripped of government funding and its’ CEO was dismissed after the Inquest concluded that Awaab had died because of the mould despite numerous complaints to RBH by his parents which were ignored.
In response to the tragedy, “Awaab’s Law” was introduced. It comes into force on 27 October 2025 and imposes stringent duties on social landlords to repair damp, mould and other emergency hazards within fixed timeframes.
The specifics of Awaab’s Law
Awaab’s Law creates two categories of hazard:
- Emergency hazards: these amount to an imminent and significant risk of harm and would cover issues such as gas leaks, electrical faults, loss of water supply, and – critically – damp and mould which has a material impact on a tenant’s health.
- Significant hazards: these present a significant risk of harm to the health and safety of a tenant; this would also include damp and mould.
Time limits for addressing these hazards are strict and start as soon as a landlord becomes aware of the issue.
- Emergency hazards must be investigated and requisite safety work carried out within 24 hours.
- Significant hazards must be investigated within 10 working days and safety work carried out within 5 working days of that investigation.
If a landlord cannot complete relevant safety work within the initial remediation period, then they must provide suitable alternative accommodation in vacant housing stock, private rented homes, hotels or B&Bs, considering issues such as space, any disability or medical needs.
Throughout the process, landlords are required to keep their tenant fully informed.
The Regulations require them to produce a written summary of their findings to the tenant within three working days. Communication is a key component of the “reasonableness” defence against a claim brought under regulations.
The reasonableness defence can be raised if a landlord can evidence, with clear records, that they have taken all reasonable steps to comply with the Regulations; or, if they were unable to comply, that it is for reasons genuinely beyond their control – e.g, non-availability of specialist workers or materials, lack of access etc.
Housing disrepair claims have increased in recent years, and Awaab’s Law is likely to lead to a further rise.
Guidance for social landlords was published in June and can be found here.
In 2026, Phase 2 of implementation of the Regulations will extend scope to include hazards such as excess cold and heat, falls, domestic and personal hygiene and food safety.
In 2027, Phase 3 will extend to all remaining Housing Health and Safety Rating System hazards (with the exception of overcrowding) when they present a significant risk of harm.
How can landlords prepare for Awaab’s Law?
The basics can be summarised as follows:
- Audit housing stock to identify at-risk properties and establish monitoring systems for moisture and ventilation problems.
- Update policies and contractor arrangements to guarantee that timeframes are met, including out-of-hours responses to emergencies. An incident response plan will be essential.
- Implement training for repairs, maintenance, and housing officers to ensure consistent application of the law.
- Integrate new data reporting systems, such as Notify’s incident reporting software, to track hazards and responses in alignment with emerging government data standards for social housing.
Preparation – as ever – will be key, and aligning asset management, tenant communication and compliance monitoring seems to me to be essential.