Awaab's Law is expanding beyond damp and mould in social housing. Here's what you need to know

Awaab’s Law will force social housing landlords to deal with hazards such as fires, structural collapse and excess cold and heat at a faster rate from November, the government has announced.

The new regulations come under the second phase of Awaab’s Law, which requires social housing landlords to investigate and fix safety risks such as damp and mould within fixed timeframes.

But other hazards, such as asbestos and carbon monoxide, won’t come under the law until 2027.

What is Awaab’s Law?

Awaab’s Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who died after being exposed to damp and mould in his Rochdale home in 2020. Faisal Abdullah, Awaab’s father and campaigner for social housing tenants, told Big Issue that the law is a “fitting legacy” for his son.

Right now, the law only applies to social housing, but the government has committed to extending it to the private renting sector.

Housing secretary Steve Reed said: “Awaab’s Law sends a clear message that tenants’ health and safety can never be compromised.

“This action will mean dangers have to be dealt with quickly by law, protecting tenants’ rights to a safe and decent home.”

What are your current rights under Awaab’s Law?

Since 27 October 2025, social housing landlords have had a legal duty to address both significant damp and mould and emergency hazards under strict timeframes.

Landlords must investigate and take action to fix emergency hazards – issues that could cause imminent harm to the health or safety to anyone living in your home – within 24 hours of being made aware of them.

For significant damp and mould, your landlord must investigate the issue within 10 working days and make your home safe within five working days of the investigation concluding.

What’s changing from November 2026?

From 30 November 2026, social housing landlords will need to address seven more hazards: electrical faults, risks of falling, structural defects, excess cold and heat, fire risks and hygiene issues like pest infestations.

Where these issues are serious, but not imminently dangerous, your landlord must investigate within 10 working days of being made aware of them. They then have another three working days to provide you with a written summary of what they will do.

Within five working days of the investigation, they must carry out work and make your home safe within 15 working days. Any longer-term repairs must be started within 12 weeks.

The extension of the law has been welcomed by leading trade bodies and charities. Gavin Smart, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) said: “Extending Awaab’s Law to these hazards is an important step towards safer, healthier homes, and we welcome the collaborative approach the government has taken.

“This is about more than compliance; it is a culture of listening to residents and acting on their concerns, and that is the change we want to help the sector deliver. CIH will support our members in delivering these duties and in continuing to feedback throughout the test-and-learn phase.”

Read more:

• Tenants of TV star Stephen Mulhern left ‘living with damp and mould for two years’
• What to do about mould and damp in a rented property
• Wet winter and rising energy bills driven by Middle East war spark damp and mould warning

How to report an issue with your social housing

If you’re experiencing issues like mould or damp in your social housing, you should report this to your landlord in the first instance. Check your council or housing association’s website for the best way to do this.

You should receive a response within five working days. After this, they have a further 10 days to come back to you with a decision.

If your landlord doesn’t follow the complaints policy, or you’re unhappy with the decision, you can ask them to escalate it to stage two of the complaints process. They should acknowledge this within five working days and then come back to you with a decision within a further 20 working days.

Social housing tenants have a legal right to escalate their complaint to the Housing Ombudsman if you don’t agree with how your complaint was handled. The Housing Omdbudsman will then look into your complaint and come back to you with a final decision.

Beware of third-party companies who offer to escalate your complaint to the ombudsman for you, as they will take a fee from any compensation you are owed. You can contact the ombudsman yourself for free using its online form, by calling 0300 111 3000 or emailing info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk.

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