Awaab's Law

Rules that set fixed timescales for landlords to investigate and fix dangerous hazards like damp and mould — named after a two-year-old boy whose death prompted the reform.

Does Awaab's Law apply to my tenancy right now?

It depends on who your landlord is. The first phase of Awaab's Law took effect for social landlords on 27 October 2025. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 creates the framework to extend equivalent duties to private landlords, but secondary legislation is needed before that applies, and the government has said the private rented sector timetable will follow further consultation. Check the current position before assuming it already covers a private tenancy.

What counts as a hazard under Awaab's Law?

The rules focus on serious hazards that pose a risk to health or safety, with damp and mould identified as a priority category in the first phase. The assessment draws on the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, which categorises hazards by the severity of harm they could cause.

What is a landlord actually required to do?

Where Awaab's Law applies, a landlord must investigate a reported hazard within a fixed timescale, and then repair a hazard found to be serious within a further fixed timescale, with emergency hazards requiring even faster action. The specific timescales are set out in regulations rather than the Act itself, so check the current figures before relying on them.

What can I do if my landlord ignores a hazard I've reported?

Keep a clear written record of when you reported the problem, what you said, and any response you received, along with photographs and any related correspondence. Where Awaab's Law duties apply and are not met, this record supports a formal complaint or, ultimately, a legal claim for breach of the implied term.

Is Awaab's Law the same as the Decent Homes Standard?

No, though they overlap. The Decent Homes Standard sets a broader baseline of condition a home should meet. Awaab's Law is narrower and more procedural — it sets specific, enforceable timescales for investigating and fixing serious hazards once they are reported, rather than describing the overall standard a property should reach.

Who was Awaab Ishak?

Awaab Ishak was a two-year-old boy who died in December 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in a housing association property in Rochdale. A coroner's inquest found mould exposure caused his death, and the case prompted the legal reforms that now carry his name.

Renters' Rights · Glossary

Rules that set fixed timescales for landlords to investigate and fix dangerous hazards like damp and mould — named after a two-year-old boy whose death prompted the reform.

Last reviewed: July 2026

Renters' Rights track

is the set of legal duties requiring landlords to investigate and repair dangerous hazards — damp and mould first — within fixed timescales, rather than leaving tenants to wait indefinitely for action.

Where this comes from

Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, section 10

— implies terms into social housing tenancy agreements requiring hazards to be addressed within set timescales.

Renters' Rights Act 2025

— creates the framework to extend equivalent duties to private rented tenancies, subject to further secondary legislation.

Awaab's Law guidance for the social rented sector

— gov.uk guidance on timescales and hazard categories for the current phase.

Where the name comes from

Awaab's Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who died in December 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in a housing association property in Rochdale. A coroner's inquest found that mould exposure caused his death, and the case exposed how slowly some landlords responded to hazard reports, even where tenants had repeatedly raised concerns. The legal reform that followed is designed to close that gap by attaching firm timescales, rather than vague expectations, to a landlord's duty to act.

What the duty actually requires

Where Awaab's Law applies, a landlord is required to investigate a reported hazard within a fixed timescale set out in regulations, and then to carry out repairs where a hazard is found to be significant, again within a fixed period. Emergency hazards — those posing an immediate risk to health or safety — carry shorter timescales still. The framework draws on the Housing Health and Safety Rating System to assess how serious a hazard is, with damp and mould treated as a priority category in the first phase of implementation.

This is a narrower duty than a general standard of decent condition. It does not, by itself, require every home to be free of any defect — it requires a landlord to act within a defined window once a serious hazard has actually been reported or otherwise comes to their attention.

Rollout: who is covered, and when

• Awaab Ishak died after prolonged exposure to mould in a Rochdale housing association property.
• The first phase of Awaab's Law took effect for social landlords, with fixed timescales for investigating and repairing damp and mould hazards.
• The Renters' Rights Act 2025 provides the legal framework to extend equivalent duties to private landlords, but no commencement date has yet been confirmed — the government has said further consultation will inform the private rented sector timetable.

Because the private rented sector rollout is not yet in force, tenants renting privately should check the current guidance on GOV.UK rather than assuming Awaab's Law already applies to their tenancy.

How it works in practice

A tenant in a social housing property reports black mould spreading across a bedroom ceiling, along with a persistent damp smell. Under Awaab's Law, the landlord must investigate within the timescale set by the current regulations, and if the hazard is confirmed as significant, carry out repairs within the further timescale that applies.

The tenant keeps a written record of the date they first reported the problem, photographs of the affected area, and copies of any messages exchanged with the landlord. If the landlord fails to investigate or repair within the applicable timescales, that record becomes the evidence needed to escalate a complaint through the landlord's process, the Housing Ombudsman, or ultimately a legal claim.

Common misconceptions

• “Awaab's Law already covers every rented home in England.”
• Not yet. Only social housing is currently covered — the private rented sector extension requires further regulations that have not yet been made.
• “It only applies to mould.”
• Damp and mould were prioritised in the first phase, but the underlying framework is intended to extend to other serious hazards over time.
• “My landlord just needs to respond eventually.”
• The whole point of Awaab's Law is that vague or open-ended responses are not enough — where it applies, specific timescales set out in regulations govern both investigation and repair.
• “Reporting a hazard verbally is enough on its own.”
• A verbal report may start the clock, but keeping a written record — an email, text or letter — makes it far easier to show when the hazard was reported if you later need to demonstrate a landlord missed the applicable timescale.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & further reading

• Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, section 10
• (legislation.gov.uk)
• Renters' Rights Act 2025
• Awaab's Law guidance for the social rented sector
• Renters' Rights Act 2025 implementation roadmap

Dealing with an unresolved hazard?

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Last reviewed: July 2026.

References checked against Awaab's Law guidance for the social rented sector as published following commencement on 27 October 2025.

This page is explanatory only and is not legal advice. Start My Claim is self-service software, not a law firm — its tools help you build and run your own case.