Awaab's Law: Damp & Mould Response Requirements for Landlords

Awaab's Law introduces legally enforceable timescales for landlords to respond to reports of damp, mould, and other serious housing hazards. Originally passed for social housing in England, it is being extended to the private rented sector through the Renters' Rights Act 2025. While the precise timetable for the private sector extension is still subject to consultation, the direction is clear — and landlords who are not already responding promptly to hazard reports should be.

This guide explains where the law came from, what it requires, and what you should be doing now to prepare.

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Background: Who Was Awaab Ishak?

Awaab Ishak was a two-year-old boy who died in December 2020. A coroner's inquest in November 2022 found that he died from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his family's housing association flat in Rochdale. The flat had significant damp and mould problems that had been reported to the landlord and were not adequately addressed.

The inquest attracted widespread attention and prompted significant political pressure for legislative change. The government named the resulting reform "Awaab's Law" in recognition of the circumstances that led to it.

The legislation was introduced as an amendment to the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, which received Royal Assent in July 2023. It initially applied only to social housing providers. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 extends the framework to the private rented sector, making Awaab's Law relevant to private landlords for the first time.

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What the Law Requires

Awaab's Law establishes mandatory response timescales once a landlord is made aware of a potential hazard. The timescales apply to "relevant hazards" — a category that includes damp and mould but is intended to cover serious housing hazards more broadly, consistent with the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).

The framework operates in three stages:

Stage 1: Acknowledgement — 14 Days

When a tenant reports a potential hazard, the landlord must acknowledge the report and begin an initial assessment within 14 days. This means:

• Confirming receipt of the report in writing
• Starting an investigation into whether a hazard exists
• Providing the tenant with a written summary of findings once the investigation is complete

This does not mean all works must begin within 14 days — it means the landlord must have responded and begun assessing the situation within that window.

Stage 2: Investigation and Repair — 14 Days

Once a hazard has been identified, the landlord must begin repair work within a further 14 days. The works must be completed within a reasonable timeframe following that.

In practice, this means:

• You cannot simply acknowledge a problem exists and then delay acting
• You must have a plan for remediation and be actively progressing it
• "I'm looking into it" is not a sufficient response once you have confirmed a hazard is present

For complex or structural issues, "beginning works" may mean arranging a specialist survey or engaging a contractor — but you must be able to demonstrate active progress, not passive delay.

Stage 3: Emergency Hazards — 24 Hours

Where a hazard presents an immediate risk to the health or safety of the occupants, the landlord must take emergency action within 24 hours. This is not a timescale for completing all repairs — it is a timescale for taking initial protective action.

An immediate risk might include:

• Severe water ingress compromising structural elements or electrical systems
• A heating failure during cold weather that creates a risk of hypothermia
• Sewage contamination
• Carbon monoxide risk where a detector has been triggered

In these cases, you may need to arrange emergency accommodation for the tenant, turn off affected services, or engage an emergency contractor before permanent repairs can be planned.

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What Counts as a Relevant Hazard?

The law targets "relevant hazards" defined by reference to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). The HHSRS assesses 29 categories of hazard across a residential property.

Damp and mould are the named focus — the law was prompted specifically by the consequences of persistent damp — but the framework is not limited to these. Other hazards that could trigger the timescales include:

• Excess cold (inadequate heating, poor insulation)
• Structural collapse risk
• Electrical hazards
• Falling hazards (stairs, balconies)
• Lead exposure
• Asbestos
• Carbon monoxide

Category 1 hazards (the most serious, posing the greatest risk of harm) are the primary trigger. Category 2 hazards may also fall within scope depending on the circumstances and the vulnerability of the occupants.

Landlords should not treat this as a narrow damp-and-mould rule. Any report of a condition that could affect tenant health or safety may fall within the framework.

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The Extension to Private Landlords

The Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 applied Awaab's Law to registered social housing providers from October 2025. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (Section 81 and Schedule 4) extends the same framework to the private rented sector.

The private sector extension is subject to consultation on the precise implementation regulations. As of April 2026, the final timetable has not been confirmed, but the Renters' Rights Act has already granted the Secretary of State the power to bring the provisions into force by statutory instrument. The expectation is that it will apply to private tenancies, though the exact commencement date will be confirmed following consultation.

The Decent Homes Standard — which is also being extended to the private sector on a separate timetable (proposed 2035–2037) — operates alongside Awaab's Law but is distinct from it. The Decent Homes Standard covers minimum property standards generally. Awaab's Law is specifically about response timescales once a problem is reported.

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Enforcement

Once in force for the private sector, enforcement will sit with local housing authorities (councils). The existing Housing Act 2004 framework — including Housing Health and Safety Rating System inspections and improvement notices — provides the underlying mechanism.

Where a council finds that a landlord has failed to comply with the Awaab's Law timescales, it can:

• Issue an improvement notice requiring works to be completed
• Take emergency remedial action itself and recover the cost from the landlord
• Issue a civil penalty
• In serious cases, pursue prosecution

Tenants will also retain the right to pursue civil claims for breach of the implied fitness for habitation term (for England) and, in Wales, the fundamental contract term on fitness for human habitation. These civil routes are separate from council enforcement.

The Renters' Rights Act also expanded the scope of Rent Repayment Orders — so landlords who persistently fail to maintain properties to the required standard may face RRO claims of up to 12 months' rent, in addition to any enforcement action.

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What Landlords Should Do Now

The law is not yet in force for private landlords, but the direction is unambiguous. Landlords who build good habits now will be better placed when the regulations arrive — and better protected against civil claims in the meantime.

1. Respond to all repair reports promptly and in writing

Even before Awaab's Law applies to you, failing to respond to repair reports exposes you to civil claims under the existing fitness for habitation obligation (Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Section 11 implied repairing obligation). Acknowledge reports quickly and in writing. Keep records.

2. Inspect properties regularly

Many damp and mould problems develop gradually. Regular inspections — at least annually, and at the start and end of each tenancy — allow you to identify issues before they become serious and before a tenant makes a formal report.

Document each inspection with photographs and a written record. If an inspection reveals a potential hazard, treat that as equivalent to a tenant report and begin assessing it promptly.

3. Address root causes, not symptoms

Painting over mould is not a repair. Awaab's Law is concerned with genuine remediation. If a property has a damp problem, identify whether it is caused by penetrating damp (a structural issue), rising damp (a ground-level issue), or condensation (which may involve both ventilation and heating). The remedy depends on the cause.

Treating symptoms without addressing root causes will not satisfy the legal requirement — and the mould will return.

4. Understand your properties' vulnerabilities

Some properties are more prone to damp than older stock, north-facing properties, poorly insulated buildings, and those with single-glazing or no mechanical ventilation. If you own properties in these categories, factor more frequent checks into your management routine.

5. Build a reliable contractor network

Compliance with the timescales in Awaab's Law depends on your ability to mobilise contractors quickly. If you rely on a single plumber or builder who may not be available at short notice, you may find it difficult to meet a 14-day or 24-hour requirement. Having backup contacts and an agreed process for emergency situations is practical preparation.

6. Keep records of all reports, responses, and works

When enforcement comes, the question will be what you knew, when you knew it, and what you did about it. A clear paper trail — report received, investigation begun, findings communicated to tenant, works arranged, works completed — is your primary protection against a finding of non-compliance.

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A Note on Wales and Scotland

Awaab's Law as a named provision is an England measure. However, both Scotland and Wales have their own housing standards frameworks that already impose obligations on landlords to maintain properties that are free from serious hazards.

In Wales, fitness for human habitation is a fundamental term of every occupation contract under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. This is not time-limited in the same way as Awaab's Law, but it does create an ongoing obligation and a private right of action for contract-holders.

In Scotland, the Repairing Standard requires landlords to ensure a property is wind and watertight and reasonably fit for habitation at the start of and throughout the tenancy. Tenants can refer a case to the First-Tier Tribunal if the landlord fails to meet the standard.

If you manage properties in Wales or Scotland, you should already be treating hazard reports with urgency. The obligations are different in their legal mechanism but similar in their practical effect.

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Summary

Awaab's Law is a named but plainly grounded rule: landlords must respond to hazard reports promptly, investigate thoroughly, and carry out remediation without unnecessary delay. For social housing landlords the timescales are already legally enforceable. For private landlords, the extension is coming.

The practical requirements are not onerous for landlords who already maintain properties well and respond quickly to tenant concerns. For those who have historically delayed or ignored repair reports, the law represents a material change in risk.

The core message is simple: when a tenant reports a hazard, respond within 14 days — and if it is an emergency, respond within 24 hours.