Awaab’s Law is a significant regulatory reform introduced in response to the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020 due to prolonged exposure to mould in his social housing accommodation. It aims to impose legally binding timeframes on social landlords for investigating and remediating serious hazards in tenants’ homes.
The legislation amends the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and introduces enforceable timelines for responding to specific health and safety hazards in social rented housing. Its intention is to ensure that tenants are no longer left in unsafe or unhealthy homes due to landlord inaction.
The first phase of Awaab’s Law will apply to the social rented sector from 27 October 2025. This will require social landlords to investigate and address emergency hazards, including damp and mould, within strict timeframes.
Further regulations will extend to additional hazard categories in the following years:
The Government published draft guidance last week which provides greater clarity surrounding Awaab’s law, elements of which we consider in this alert.
Under Awaab’s Law, hazards will be classified as either:
Some hazards will fall outside the scope of Awaab’s Law:
There are statutory defences available under section 10A(5) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 where a landlord can prove genuine efforts to comply that have been thwarted by factors outside of their control.
From October 2025, social landlords will be required to:
Tenants will have clear escalation routes, including:
To reinforce landlord accountability and protect tenant rights, the government will be launching a Call for Evidence to consider how best to limit claims farming and ensure legal practices serve tenants’ genuine needs.
The October 2025 introduction marks a material shift in social housing compliance. Awaab’s Law will likely drive increased scrutiny and could lead to a spike in disrepair and personal injury claims, particularly in relation to damp and mould.
Clients operating in or working with the social housing sector should:
Our crime and regulatory team are supporting clients facing or at risk of private prosecutions under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and can provide bespoke advice to help manage the legal and reputational implications.
Please get in touch if you require further support or training ahead of implementation.
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