The Awaab's Law Compliance Checklist for Landlords (2026)
Every step a landlord must take — from the moment a damp or mould report is received to case closure — to comply with Awaab's Law.
Awaab's Law (SI 2025/1042) requires registered social housing providers to follow a structured process for every damp, mould, or hazard report they receive. This checklist covers every statutory requirement from report receipt to case closure, in the order they must happen.
On receipt of report (Day 0)
☐ Record the date and time the report was received. This is Day 0 — every subsequent deadline runs from this point. The record must be timestamped and retained.
☐ Classify the hazard as emergency or significant. Apply the triage decision framework to determine whether the hazard poses an imminent risk to life (emergency — 24-hour clock) or is a significant but non-emergency hazard (significant — 10 working day clock).
☐ Send a written acknowledgement to the tenant. The acknowledgement should confirm receipt of the report, the hazard classification, and the expected next steps and timeline.
☐ For emergency hazards: dispatch operatives immediately. Emergency remediation works must begin within 24 hours of Day 0, including out-of-hours and at weekends.
Within 10 working days (significant hazards)
☐ Complete a full inspection of the affected areas. The inspection must identify the location, extent, probable cause, and severity of the hazard. It should include moisture readings (using a calibrated damp meter), photographic evidence, and an assessment of tenant vulnerability.
☐ Document the inspection formally. Complete an inspection record that captures all findings. This document forms part of the evidence log for the case.
☐ Identify the root cause — not just the symptoms. Surface mould that recurs after treatment is almost always a symptom of an underlying ventilation, structural, or condensation issue. The investigation must identify the cause, not just the visible hazard.
☐ Assess tenant vulnerability. Are there children under 2 in the household? Elderly residents? Residents with respiratory conditions? Vulnerability factors affect both the urgency classification and potential compensation liability.
☐ Prepare a written Remediation Action Plan. The plan must set out: what works will be done, who will carry them out, in what sequence, and with what expected completion date. It must be signed off before it is sent to the tenant.
☐ Provide the written Remediation Action Plan to the tenant. This must be done within 10 working days of Day 0. A verbal update is not sufficient — the plan must be in writing and a copy retained.
☐ Send the Regulation 9 written summary to the tenant within 3 working days of the investigation being completed.
☐ Begin safety works within 5 working days of the investigation. Any works that address immediate risk factors must commence within 5 working days — even if the full remediation programme will take longer.
Within 12 weeks (completion)
☐ Complete all remediation works within 12 weeks of the written summary. 12 weeks = 84 calendar days. All works identified in the action plan must be finished within this window.
☐ Document all works completed with dates. Maintain a chronological evidence log recording each stage of works, contractor visits, materials used, and sign-offs.
☐ Conduct a post-works inspection. After completion, inspect the property to confirm the hazard has been remediated. Take post-works moisture readings and photographs. Retain these in the evidence log.
☐ Send a written completion notification to the tenant. Confirm in writing that all works have been completed, what was done, and what the tenant should do if the issue recurs.
At case closure
☐ Complete the Regulation 9 compliance checklist. Confirm that all statutory obligations have been met — acknowledgement, investigation, action plan, safety works, full remediation, post-works inspection, and completion notification.
☐ Retain the complete evidence file. The evidence log — inspection records, photographs, moisture readings, action plan, contractor records, correspondence with the tenant — should be retained for a minimum of 6 years.
☐ Consider whether a vulnerability referral is needed. Where the case involved a vulnerable household, consider whether any referral to support services, tenancy sustainment, or social care is appropriate.
☐ Review for systemic issues. Is this an isolated case or indicative of a broader stock condition problem? Properties built in the same era, with the same construction type, or in the same block should be reviewed for similar issues.
If you cannot meet the deadlines
Extensions to the 12-week completion window must be agreed with the tenant in writing before the deadline expires. The reason for the extension must be documented. If emergency or 10-day deadlines cannot be met — for example, due to contractor unavailability — the landlord must document the reason and implement interim measures (such as a dehumidifier, temporary rehousing, or mould wash) while the full response is mobilised.
Interim measures do not reset the clock. They are mitigations, not substitutes for compliance.
The Compliance Pack
Our Awaab's Law Compliance Pack includes a pre-built version of every document mentioned in this checklist — the inspection record, Remediation Action Plan template, three template tenant letters, evidence log, and Regulation 9 checklist — in a single 35-page PDF ready to use from Day 0.