Awaab's law
Awaab's law is a set of legal duties that require landlords to investigate and fix serious hazards, in particular damp and mould, within fixed timescales. It was created by the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, which inserted section 10A into the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, and has applied to social landlords in England since 27 October 2025. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 extends the same approach to the private rented sector.
What Awaab's law requires
For social landlords, the law sets strict deadlines that start the moment a hazard is reported. An emergency hazard, meaning one that poses an imminent and serious risk, must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours. For a damp and mould hazard that poses a significant risk to health, the landlord must investigate within 10 working days, give the tenant a written summary of the findings within 3 working days of finishing that investigation, and begin safety works within 5 working days where a significant hazard is confirmed. If the home cannot be made safe within these timescales, the landlord must offer suitable alternative accommodation. The detail sits in the Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025, with statutory guidance published on gov.uk.
Does Awaab's law apply to private landlords?
Not yet. Since 27 October 2025 the law has applied only to social landlords, meaning councils and housing associations in England. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 extends Awaab's law to the private rented sector, but the detail will arrive through secondary legislation and no commencement date has been confirmed as of mid-2026. The government has indicated that the private sector timescales are likely to mirror those already in force for social housing. The law applies in England only. Pending commencement, private landlords are not off the hook on damp and mould: existing duties under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 already require a let home to be kept in repair and fit to live in. In our experience supporting landlords through the Renters' Rights Act transition, those who fare best treat the social housing rules as a preview of their own obligations rather than waiting for a date to land.
What hazards does Awaab's law cover?
The duties are arriving in stages. From October 2025 they cover damp and mould together with all emergency hazards. From 2026 the scope widens to further hazards such as excess cold and heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and electrical risks, and hygiene hazards. From 2027 it is due to reach the remaining hazards defined by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, with overcrowding the single exclusion. Every hazard is assessed under the HHSRS, the same framework councils apply when they inspect rented homes.
Awaab's law and the Decent Homes Standard
The two reforms are easy to confuse but do different jobs. The Decent Homes Standard sets the minimum condition a property must meet, while Awaab's law sets the speed at which a landlord must respond once a hazard is reported. Both are being extended to private rentals, and you can see how they fit alongside the other property standards and compliance duties in the Renters' Rights Act. A property can satisfy the Decent Homes Standard in principle and still breach Awaab's law if the landlord acts too slowly on a reported problem.
Who was Awaab Ishak?
Awaab Ishak was a two-year-old boy who died in December 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in his family's social housing flat in Rochdale. The coroner found that the damp and mould directly caused his death, and that repeated reports from his family had not led to action. The law that carries his name was the government's response, and it places the onus on landlords to investigate and resolve hazards quickly rather than attributing them to how tenants live.
How private landlords can prepare
From working with self-managing landlords across the UK, the practical groundwork is the same whether or not a commencement date has arrived. Keep a dated record of every repair report and your response, inspect proactively rather than waiting for a complaint, and follow a structured approach to preventing damp and mould so that any early sign of it is treated as a structural question first. Building that habit now means the eventual deadlines change your paperwork, not your standards.
Frequently asked questions
Is Awaab's law in force now?
Yes, but only for social landlords. It has applied to councils and housing associations in England since 27 October 2025. Private landlords are not yet covered, although the Renters' Rights Act 2025 provides for the law to reach them.
What is the 24-hour rule under Awaab's law?
An emergency hazard, meaning one that poses an imminent and serious risk to health or safety, must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours of the landlord becoming aware of it. If the home cannot be made safe in that time, the tenant must be offered suitable alternative accommodation.
What happens if a landlord breaches Awaab's law?
A breach is treated as a breach of the tenancy agreement, so a tenant can take the landlord to court to force the repairs and claim compensation. Once the duties reach the private rented sector, enforcement is also expected to run through the new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman.
Does Awaab's law cover condensation caused by the tenant?
Landlords cannot dismiss damp and mould as a tenant lifestyle issue. Government guidance is explicit that everyday activities such as cooking, washing and drying clothes are not a reason to avoid investigating, so a reported hazard must be assessed on its merits.
