What is Awaab's Law? The Complete Guide for 2026

The Tragedy That Changed Housing Law

On 21 December 2020, two-year-old Awaab Ishak died at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport. The cause of death, as determined by the coroner, was acute respiratory failure brought on by prolonged exposure to mould in the family's one-bedroom flat at Freehold Estate in Rochdale. The flat was managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), a registered social housing provider responsible for approximately 12,000 homes across the borough.

Awaab's parents, Faisal Abdullah and Aisha Amin, had repeatedly reported the mould to RBH over a period of more than two years. Despite multiple complaints, inspections, and even involvement from health visitors who flagged the dangerous conditions, the mould was never adequately addressed. Internal RBH communications later revealed that some staff attributed the mould to the family's "lifestyle" — a deeply troubling response that the coroner described as having "clear echoes of racial stereotyping."

"It is unacceptable for social landlords to assume that the cause of a hazard, such as damp and mould, is due to the tenant's 'lifestyle'."

— UK Government, Awaab's Law: Guidance for Social Landlords — Timeframes for Repairs in the Social Rented Sector (October 2025)

The inquest, concluded in November 2022, found that Awaab's death was directly caused by the mould in his home and that RBH had failed to act on the reports with appropriate urgency. The coroner, Joanne Kearsley, issued a Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths, directing it at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) and calling for systemic reform. The case attracted widespread media attention and prompted an immediate political response.

The Political Response & Legislative Journey

Within weeks of the inquest's conclusion, the then Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove, announced that the government would introduce "Awaab's Law" as an amendment to the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill, which was already progressing through Parliament. The amendment was tabled in January 2023 and received cross-party support. The Social Housing (Regulation) Act received Royal Assent on 20 July 2023.

The provisions commonly referred to as Awaab's Law are contained in section 42 of the Act. This section amends the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 by inserting new sections 10A and 10B, which impose statutory obligations on social housing landlords to investigate hazards and make properties safe within prescribed timeframes. The detailed prescribed requirements are set out in the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1042), which came into force on 27 October 2025.

The Five Statutory Deadlines Explained

The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1042) impose five separate deadlines that apply once a social housing landlord has been made aware of a qualifying hazard. These are absolute statutory obligations, not aspirational targets, and the timing of each varies according to the hazard type and stage of the response. Failure to meet a deadline is a breach of the implied term inserted into every social housing tenancy agreement by section 42 of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.

1. Emergency Hazards: 24 Hours to Investigate and Make Safe

Where a reported hazard poses a serious and immediate risk to the health or safety of the tenant or any member of their household, the landlord must investigate the hazard and make the property safe within 24 hours of becoming aware of it. This is measured from the point at which the landlord receives the report — through any reasonable channel — not from when a surveyor or inspector visits the property.

The gov.uk landlord guidance gives examples of emergency hazards including dangerous electrical faults, damaged external doors or windows, and major leaks. The 24-hour deadline applies to all emergency hazards regardless of category — it is not limited to damp and mould. If the property cannot be made safe within 24 hours, the landlord must offer the tenant suitable alternative accommodation at the landlord's expense until the property is safe.

2. Significant Hazards: 10 Working Days to Investigate

For significant hazards (under Phase 1, this means damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm to health or safety), the landlord must investigate within 10 working days of becoming aware of the hazard. The investigation is the only statutory requirement at this stage; the written summary, safety work, and any preventative work all have separate deadlines that follow.

The 10-working-day period is calculated from the day after the landlord first becomes aware of the hazard. Weekends and bank holidays are excluded from the count. The investigation must involve a physical inspection of the property by a suitably qualified person, and any specialist surveys needed (for example, moisture mapping or a ventilation assessment) must be arranged and completed within the same window.

3. Written Summary: 3 Working Days from Investigation Finishing

Within 3 working days of the investigation concluding, the landlord must provide the tenant with a written summary of the findings. The statutory term for this document is the "written summary of the findings of the investigation" (regulation 9 of SI 2025/1042). The summary must explain what was found, what (if anything) needs to be done to make the property safe, and what (if anything) needs to be done to prevent the hazard from recurring. If no hazard is identified, the summary must still set out why no action is needed.

4. Make Safe: 5 Working Days from Investigation Finishing

Where the investigation identifies a significant hazard, the landlord must complete the relevant safety work within 5 working days of the investigation concluding. Safety work means the steps needed to remove or mitigate the hazard — for example, a mould wash, leak repair, or interim measures while a longer-term solution is implemented. If the property cannot be made safe within 5 working days, the landlord must offer suitable alternative accommodation at the landlord's expense.

5. Supplementary Preventative Work: 12-Week Backstop

Where the investigation identifies a significant or emergency hazard, the landlord must begin (or take steps to begin) supplementary preventative work — to stop the hazard from recurring — within 5 working days of the investigation concluding, and must in any event have physically started this work within 12 weeks. The 12-week figure is the outer limit for starting the work, not for finishing it. Completion must take place in a reasonable timeframe, taking into account the nature of the work required.

Who Does Awaab's Law Apply To?

Awaab's Law applies to all registered providers of social housing in England. This includes:

• Housing associations — also known as registered social landlords or private registered providers. These are not-for-profit organisations (and some for-profit entities) registered with the Regulator of Social Housing. They manage approximately 2.7 million homes across England.
• Local authority landlords — councils that have retained their housing stock rather than transferring it to a housing association. Around 1.6 million council homes remain under direct local authority management.
• Arms-length management organisations (ALMOs)— where a local authority has delegated day-to-day management of its housing stock to an ALMO, the obligations under Awaab's Law still apply. The local authority remains the registered provider and retains ultimate legal responsibility.

The law does not currently apply to private landlords or owner-occupiers. It also does not apply to shared ownership homes, supported accommodation, homeless accommodation, or licences (rather than tenancies) in social housing.

What Hazards Are Covered Under Phase 1?

Phase 1 of Awaab's Law, which came into force on 27 October 2025, covers two distinct categories of hazard.

Significant Hazards: Damp and Mould

For Phase 1, the "significant hazard" category is limited to damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm to the health or safety of a tenant. These include:

• Damp — including rising damp, penetrating damp, and damp caused by defective building fabric such as failed damp-proof courses, leaking roofs, or defective pointing.
• Mould— all forms of mould growth, whether caused by building defects, inadequate ventilation, or a combination of factors. The regulations and accompanying guidance reject the historic practice of attributing mould to a tenant's "lifestyle" without proper investigation.
• Condensation contributing to damp or mould — particularly where it results from inadequate heating, insulation, or ventilation provision by the landlord.

Emergency Hazards: All Categories

The 24-hour emergency-hazard duty applies to all hazards capable of being classed as an emergency, regardless of HHSRS category. The gov.uk landlord guidance gives examples including dangerous electrical faults, damaged external doors or windows, and major leaks. Under Phase 1, an emergency hazard does not have to be a damp or mould hazard for the 24-hour deadline to apply.

Excess cold and excess heat are not in Phase 1 of Awaab's Law. They will come into scope as significant hazards under Phase 2 later in 2026.

Tenant Rights Under Awaab's Law

Awaab's Law significantly strengthens the rights of social housing tenants when it comes to hazards in their homes. Key tenant rights include:

• The right to report hazards through any reasonable channel — by phone, email, letter, online portal, or in person. The landlord cannot insist on a specific reporting method, and the clock starts as soon as the report is received through any channel.
• The right to a written summary of the investigation within 3 working days of the investigation concluding — this is the statutory document under regulation 9 of SI 2025/1042. It must be in clear, plain language and must set out what was found, what will be done to make the property safe, and what will be done to prevent the hazard from recurring.
• The right to escalate to the Housing Ombudsman— if the landlord fails to meet any of the statutory deadlines, or if the tenant is dissatisfied with the quality of the remediation, the tenant can refer their complaint to the Housing Ombudsman Service after following the landlord's formal complaints procedure.

The Role of the Housing Ombudsman

The Housing Ombudsman Service plays a central role in the enforcement of Awaab's Law. While the Ombudsman has long handled complaints from social housing tenants, the new legislation gives added weight and urgency to its work.

When a tenant refers a case involving a breach of Awaab's Law deadlines, the Ombudsman can order the landlord to carry out specific remediation works within a defined timeframe, award compensation to the tenant (which has in recent years ranged from hundreds to tens of thousands of pounds in the most serious cases), issue findings of maladministration or severe maladministration, and refer the case to the Regulator of Social Housing for further enforcement action.

In addition, the Regulator of Social Housing now has enhanced powers under the Act to take proactive enforcement action against landlords who show systemic failures in meeting Awaab's Law deadlines. This can include issuing regulatory notices, performance improvement plans, and — in the most serious cases — arranging for the transfer of housing management to another provider.

Phase 2: Expected in 2026

Phase 2 of Awaab's Law is expected to commence later in 2026. The Government's consultation outcome and parliamentary written statement HCWS423 set out the hazard categories that will come into scope as significant hazards: excess cold and excess heat, falls, structural collapse and explosions, fire, electrical hazards, and hygiene hazards (including domestic and personal hygiene and food safety). These categories are drawn from the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).

The same five-deadline statutory framework that applies under Phase 1 will apply to Phase 2 significant hazards: 24 hours for emergency hazards (already in force), 10 working days to investigate, 3 working days to provide the written summary, 5 working days to make safe, and a 12-week backstop for supplementary preventative work to be physically started.

Social housing providers should be preparing for Phase 2 now by reviewing their stock condition data, ensuring their hazard reporting and tracking systems can accommodate the wider hazard taxonomy, and training frontline staff on the expanded scope of the legislation.

The Private Sector Extension: Renters' Rights Act 2025

One of the most significant future developments is the extension of Awaab's Law principles to the private rented sector. The Renters' Rights Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, contains enabling provisions that will allow the Secretary of State to introduce equivalent hazard remediation deadlines for private landlords through secondary legislation.

The Government has placed the private rented sector extension in Phase 3 of its implementation roadmap for the Renters' Rights Act, with no firm commencement date confirmed. The extension is subject to a future consultation; commentators including Shelter have suggested 2027 as the earliest plausible date. The exact timeline and enforcement model will depend on the outcome of that consultation process.

Private landlords should not wait for the legislation to take effect. The principles underlying Awaab's Law — prompt investigation, clear communication, and timely remediation of hazards — represent good practice that all responsible landlords should already be following. Private sector tenants already have rights under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and can bring claims in the county court if their home is unfit. Adopting Awaab's Law timescales voluntarily provides a clear, defensible framework for demonstrating compliance with existing duties.

Key Takeaways

Awaab's Law represents the most significant reform of social housing safety standards in a generation. Born from an avoidable tragedy, it imposes clear, enforceable statutory deadlines on landlords to act when hazards are reported. The five-deadline framework — 24 hours to investigate and make safe an emergency, 10 working days to investigate a significant hazard, 3 working days for the written summary, 5 working days to make safe, and a 12-week backstop for preventative work — leaves no room for the kind of delays and indifference that cost Awaab Ishak his life.

For landlords and housing organisations, the message is clear: compliance is not optional, the deadlines are legally binding, and enforcement mechanisms have real teeth. Investing in robust hazard reporting systems, well-trained staff, and proactive stock maintenance is not just a legal obligation — it is a moral one.