Renters’ Rights Act 2025 · Private rented sector

Does Awaab’s Law apply to private landlords?

Not yet. Awaab’s Law currently binds only registered providers of social housing. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 contains the legal mechanism to extend it to the private rented sector, but the PRS extension regulations have not been laid and no commencement date has been confirmed. This guide sets out where the law stands today, what is coming, and the duties private landlords already owe regardless of the extension.

Last reviewed: 14 May 2026

Current position

Awaab’s Law currently applies only to social housing

“Awaab’s Law” is the working name for the regime prescribed by the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1042), made under section 10A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (inserted by section 42 of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023). The regulations came into force on 27 October 2025 and impose binding statutory deadlines on registered providers of social housing — housing associations and council landlords — for investigating and acting on hazards, with damp and mould and all emergency hazards in scope from day one.

Where a social tenant’s landlord misses one of the deadlines, the tenant can sue in the county court for breach of the implied tenancy term in section 10A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (inserted by section 42 of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023).

As of 2026, these obligations do notapply to private landlords. If you let on an assured shorthold tenancy, a periodic tenancy, or any other arrangement outside the social housing sector, the deadlines summarised below do not yet bind you. That does not mean private landlords are free from duty — far from it (see Band 5 below) — but the specific Awaab’s Law deadlines are, for now, a social-housing regime.

Emergency

24 hours

Investigate and make safe — calendar time, weekends and bank holidays do not pause the clock. Triggered by an imminent and significant risk of harm.

Significant

10 working days

Investigate the reported hazard, from the day after the report is received.

Significant

3 working days

Provide the tenant with a written summary of the findings of the investigation under Regulation 9 of SI 2025/1042.

Significant

5 working days

Where the investigation identifies a significant hazard, complete the safety works within 5 working days of the investigation concluding (or, where the landlord complies with Part 6 (temporary rehousing under Regulations 15-17), as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter).

Significant

12 weeks

Any additional preventative work to stop the hazard recurring must begin at the latest by this point — measured in calendar weeks from the day after the investigation is completed (Reg 13(3)(b) of SI 2025/1042).

Full statutory deadlines breakdown →

Extension mechanism

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 extension power

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, is the most significant piece of private rented sector legislation in a generation. Among its many provisions — including the abolition of section 21 “no-fault” evictions since 1 May 2026 and the creation of a new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman — the Act contains a delegated power that enables the Government to extend Awaab’s Law-style requirements to the private rented sector through secondary legislation.

The power allows the Government to make regulations requiring private landlords to investigate and remedy prescribed hazards within specified timeframes. The signal is clear: the private sector framework is intended to operate in a broadly similar way to the social housing version. The precise timeframes, hazards in scope, and enforcement mechanisms will be set out in future statutory instruments following consultation.

Importantly, the extension is not automatic. It requires a further consultation period and the laying of secondary legislation before Parliament. The Government has stated on multiple occasions that it intends to use this power, but it has been careful not to commit to a specific commencement date for the private rented sector extension.

Timeline

Phase 3 of the Renters’ Rights Act roadmap

Two different phasing schemes apply here, and reader confusion is common. SI 2025/1042 is being rolled out across three commencement wavescovering hazard categories: Phase 1 (in force since 27 October 2025) covers damp and mould as significant hazards plus all emergency hazards; Phase 2 (expected later in 2026) extends the significant-hazard track to further categories including excess cold and heat, falls, structural collapse and explosions, fire and electrical hazards, and domestic and personal hygiene and food safety; Phase 3 (expected 2027) extends further still. Separately, the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 has its own three-phase implementation roadmap, governing how the Act’s provisions reach the private rented sector. The PRS extension of Awaab’s Law sits in Phase 3 of the RRA roadmap, not Phase 3 of SI 2025/1042.

Where this guide refers to “Phase 3,” it means Phase 3 of the RRA implementation roadmap unless stated otherwise.

RRA Phase 1

1 May 2026

Section 21 “no-fault” evictions abolished; move to assured periodic tenancies; civil penalty for Improvement Notice non-compliance rises from £30,000 to £40,000.

RRA Phase 2

Late 2026 → 2028

PRS Database goes live; new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman is established and begins handling complaints.

RRA Phase 3

Subject to consultation

Extension of Awaab’s Law-style requirements to the private rented sector; modernised Decent Homes Standard for the private sector. Timescales to be confirmed.

The housing charity Shelter has suggested that the PRS extension is unlikely to be implemented before 2027 at the earliest. Given the scale of the private rented sector — 4.7 million households in England, per the English Housing Survey 2024-25 — the consultation is likely to be extensive and will need to account for the operational realities facing individual private landlords compared with large social housing organisations.

Private landlords should therefore treat the extension as a question of “when” rather than “if,” while recognising that the precise commencement date depends on the outcome of consultation and the parliamentary process for secondary legislation.

You are not starting from zero

The duties private landlords already owe today

Awaab’s Law does not yet bind you, but private landlords are already subject to a robust body of legislation requiring them to address damp, mould, and other hazards. Understanding these duties is essential — they carry real enforcement consequences today and form the foundation upon which any Awaab’s Law extension will be built.

Repairing covenant

Section 11, LTA 1985

Implied covenant in virtually every residential tenancy under seven years. Requires the landlord to keep in repair the structure and exterior, and to keep in repair and proper working order the installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation and heating. Damp arising from structural defects (failed damp-proof courses, cracked render, leaking roofs, inadequate drainage) sits squarely within this obligation. Notice-triggered: once the landlord knows or ought reasonably to know of the defect, the clock starts running.

Local-authority enforcement

HHSRS, Housing Act 2004 Part 1

Local authority environmental health officers can inspect a property and assess it against 29 hazard categories — including damp and mould growth, excess cold, and structural collapse. Where a Category 1 hazard is identified, the local authority has a duty to take enforcement action: improvement notice, prohibition order, emergency remedial action notice, or prosecution. Category 2 hazards give a discretionary power to act.

Fitness for habitation

Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018

Inserted section 9A into the LTA 1985. Requires every dwelling let on a residential tenancy to be fit for human habitation at the start of the tenancy and throughout. Tenants can sue in the county court without involving the local authority; courts can order works and award damages for the period the property was unfit. Damp-and-mould awards have risen markedly since 2018.

Since 1 May 2026 · Renters’ Rights Act 2025

Civil penalty cap rises from £30,000 to £40,000

Where a local authority serves an Improvement Notice and the landlord fails to comply, the maximum civil penalty rose from £30,000 to £40,000 on 1 May 2026 under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Serious or repeat offences can attract criminal prosecution carrying an unlimited fine. Damp and mould severe enough to affect occupant health will almost always be assessed as a Category 1 HHSRS hazard.

Voluntary adoption

Six steps private landlords should take now

The extension to the private rented sector is a question of “when” rather than “if.” Private landlords who begin adopting the framework voluntarily now will be in a far stronger position when the regulations arrive — and will significantly de-risk their existing duties under section 11, the HHSRS, and the 2018 Act in the meantime.

Implement a written damp & mould response policy

Document who receives the initial report, the target timeframe for an initial investigation (aim for the 10-working-day social-housing standard), the process for commissioning specialist surveys, how the written summary of the findings of the investigation will be communicated to the tenant, and the target timeframe for completing safety works and any additional preventative works. A written policy delivers two things: a consistent professional response, and a documentary trail to demonstrate compliance if a dispute arises.

Invest in preventative measures

The cheapest repair is the one you never have to make. Many damp and mould problems in private rented housing are caused or worsened by inadequate ventilation. Consider installing positive input ventilation (PIV) units in properties prone to condensation. Beyond ventilation: improved insulation, upgraded extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms, and remedial damp-proofing works. Proactive maintenance reduces reactive repair volume once Awaab’s Law deadlines are in force.

Document everything

When Awaab’s Law applies to the private sector, evidence of when you became aware of a hazard and what you did will be critical. Build the habits now. Log every tenant report with date and time stamp. Photograph the property at the start of each tenancy and at each inspection. Keep copies of all communications with tenants, contractors, and surveyors. Record the dates on which works were instructed, commenced, and completed. A well-maintained evidence log is your single best defence against both regulatory enforcement and compensation claims.

Train your staff and agents

If you use a managing agent, make sure they understand the Awaab’s Law framework and your expectation that they operate to those standards even before the legal requirement bites. If you self-manage, take the time to familiarise yourself with the deadlines summarised in Band 2 above. Audit your current processes against those benchmarks and identify the gaps now — not in the week the regulations land.

Budget for faster reactive repairs

The Awaab’s Law deadlines are tight. A 24-hour make-safe requirement for emergencies and a 5-working-day window to complete safety works after a significant-hazard investigation leave no room for delay. Review your maintenance reserves. Establish relationships with reliable contractors who can respond at short notice. Consider whether a maintenance insurance product or a planned maintenance contract would help smooth out costs.

Review your insurance cover

Landlord insurance varies widely in what it covers. Check whether your policy covers the cost of alternative accommodation for tenants displaced during remediation, legal expenses arising from tenant claims or regulatory enforcement, and loss of rent during void periods caused by hazard remediation. As Awaab’s Law approaches, insurers may adjust products and premiums. Reviewing cover now avoids unpleasant surprises later.

The bigger picture

A cultural shift in how the UK regulates housing standards

Awaab’s Law sits inside a broader cultural shift in how the UK regulates housing. The death of Awaab Ishak in 2020, and the subsequent Prevention of Future Deaths report issued under regulation 28 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013 (made under paragraph 7 of Schedule 5 to the Coroners and Justice Act 2009), exposed systemic failures in how some landlords respond to hazard reports. The legislative response — first for social housing, and now (via the Renters’ Rights Act 2025) for the private sector — reflects a settled political consensus that tenants deserve enforceable minimum standards, and that landlords must be held to account when they fall short.

For the conscientious private landlord, this shift should be welcomed rather than feared. The vast majority of private landlords already take their repair obligations seriously. Awaab’s Law will primarily affect those who do not. By adopting the framework voluntarily now, you position yourself as a responsible, professional landlord — and you protect your tenants, your property, and your investment.

The time to act is not when the regulations land. It is now.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does Awaab's Law apply to private landlords in 2026?

No. As of 2026, Awaab's Law — the regime prescribed by the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1042), made under section 10A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (inserted by section 42 of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023) — applies only to registered providers of social housing. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 contains a power enabling the Government to extend Awaab's Law to the private rented sector through secondary legislation, but no commencement date has been confirmed.

When will Awaab's Law apply to private landlords?

The Government's published implementation roadmap for the Renters' Rights Act 2025 places the extension of Awaab's Law to the private rented sector in Phase 3 of the RRA implementation roadmap, with timescales subject to a future consultation. No firm commencement date has been confirmed. The housing charity Shelter has suggested 2027 as the earliest plausible date, although the Government has not committed to a specific timeline.

What obligations do private landlords already have regarding damp and mould?

Private landlords already have significant legal duties under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (repairing obligations), the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) enforced by local authorities under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004, and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, which inserted section 9A into the 1985 Act and requires properties to be fit for habitation throughout the tenancy. Failure to address damp and mould can lead to enforcement action, civil penalties have risen from £30,000 to £40,000 since 1 May 2026, and compensation claims in the county court.

How should private landlords prepare for Awaab's Law?

Private landlords should begin adopting Awaab's Law standards voluntarily by implementing a written damp and mould response policy, investing in preventative measures such as improved ventilation and insulation, documenting all hazard reports and remediation actions with timestamps, training staff or agents on the statutory framework (which requires social landlords to investigate and make safe emergency hazards within 24 hours, investigate significant hazards within 10 working days, provide the tenant with a written summary of the findings of the investigation within 3 working days under Regulation 9 of SI 2025/1042, complete safety works within 5 working days of the investigation concluding (or, where the landlord complies with Part 6 (temporary rehousing under Regulations 15-17), as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter), and begin any additional preventative works within 12 weeks measured in calendar weeks from the day after the investigation is completed (Reg 13(3)(b))), and budgeting for faster reactive repairs.

Get ahead of the regulations

Build your Awaab’s Law operating model now

Our packs codify the SI 2025/1042 framework into a working operating model: written policies, response timelines, evidence templates, and tenant communications. Used by social housing providers today; equally suitable for private landlords adopting the framework voluntarily ahead of the Phase 3 RRA extension.

Bundle (Compliance + Phase 2) — £49.99 Compliance Pack — £29.99 Phase 2 Extension Pack — £29.99 Statutory deadlines guide →