Awaab’s Law for private landlords: what’s coming

Shilpa Mathuradas

Summary

• Awaab’s Law was created to force social landlords to address serious hazards in their properties within strict timeframes. The first phase came into force for social housing in October 2025.
• The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 contains the legal framework to extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector. Secondary legislation is required before the duty applies to private landlords, and the timetable has not yet been confirmed.
• Once in force, private landlords will need to investigate and remedy serious hazards such as damp and mould, structural risks, electrical faults and burst pipes within tightly defined timeframes.
• Awaab’s Law sits alongside the Decent Homes Standard, which will apply to the private rented sector by 2035, and existing duties under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.

What is Awaab’s Law?

Awaab’s Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who died in December 2020 from prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s social housing flat in Rochdale. The coroner found that the mould had been reported repeatedly and not remedied.

The law was created by the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. Its purpose is straightforward: when a tenant reports a serious hazard, the landlord must investigate and act within a fixed timeframe rather than allowing the problem to drift.

The first phase of Awaab’s Law came into force for social landlords on 27 October 2025 under the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1042). It covers damp and mould as significant hazards, and all emergency hazards. A second phase in 2026 adds excess cold and heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and electrical risks, and a third phase in 2027 extends to all remaining HHSRS hazards.

Why Awaab’s Law is being extended to private landlords

The private rented sector houses roughly one in five households in England. Damp, mould and disrepair are widespread, and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 has not on its own produced the speed of response that Awaab’s Law was designed to compel.

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 contains the legal hooks to apply Awaab’s Law to private landlords. Secondary legislation will set the precise hazards in scope and the timeframes for action. The government has indicated it intends to mirror the social-housing model, with phased implementation.

Until the secondary legislation is in force, private landlords are not yet bound by Awaab’s Law itself. They remain subject to their existing repair and fitness-for-habitation duties. No implementation date for the private rented sector has been announced as of June 2026.

The hazards Awaab’s Law is designed to address

Awaab’s Law focuses on Category 1 and serious Category 2 hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). These are conditions that present a real risk of harm to occupants. Typical examples include:

• Damp and mould serious enough to threaten respiratory health
• Structural collapse risk, including unsafe ceilings, floors and stairs
• Electrical faults that could cause shock or fire
• Gas leaks or faulty heating appliances
• Burst pipes, flooding, or lack of safe drinking water
• Excess cold caused by failing heating or insulation
• Fire safety hazards such as missing or faulty smoke alarms

The first phase for social housing prioritised damp, mould and emergencies. The private-sector rollout is expected to follow a similar pattern, but the full list will depend on the secondary legislation.

The timeframes landlords will need to meet

The headline change Awaab’s Law introduces is a clock. Once a hazard is reported, the landlord must act within a defined period.

For social landlords under SI 2025/1042, the timeframes are: emergency hazards must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours of the landlord becoming aware of them; significant hazards must be investigated within 10 working days; the landlord must give the tenant a written summary of findings within 3 working days of concluding the investigation; safety repair works must start within 5 working days of investigation; and longer preventative works must be completed within 12 weeks.

The exact timeframes for private landlords have not yet been confirmed. The government has said it intends them to be broadly aligned with the social-housing regime. Landlords should plan on this basis, while keeping watch for the published statutory instrument.

How Awaab’s Law fits with the Decent Homes Standard

Awaab’s Law deals with the response to a specific hazard. The Decent Homes Standard sets a baseline condition that every let property must meet.

Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, the Decent Homes Standard will apply to the private rented sector for the first time from 2035, when enforcement by local authorities begins. A property must be free of serious hazards, in a reasonable state of repair, have modern facilities and services, be properly heated, and be free of damp and mould.

In practice, the two regimes pull in the same direction. Reaching the Decent Homes Standard reduces the likelihood of a hazard ever arising; Awaab’s Law forces a quick response if one does.

What tenants can do if a landlord does not respond

When Awaab’s Law applies to private rentals, a tenant whose landlord misses a statutory timeframe will be able to pursue several remedies in parallel:

• Complain to the new Landlord Ombudsman scheme for redress without going to court
• Report the property to the local council, which can issue improvement and prohibition notices and serve civil penalties
• Bring a claim under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 for an order requiring repairs and compensation

Tenants are also protected from retaliatory eviction. Serving a possession notice in response to a hazard complaint can be unlawful and may be challenged in court.

What private landlords should do now to prepare

Even before secondary legislation lands, there are practical steps that will make compliance straightforward when the duty takes effect:

• Carry out a condition survey on every let property, with damp, mould, electrics, gas and structural elements assessed
• Put a written complaints procedure in place so a tenant report is logged, time-stamped and tracked to resolution
• Build a list of trusted contractors who can respond at short notice, including 24-hour cover for emergencies
• Keep records of every gas safety check, EICR, EPC and repair, alongside dated photographs of remedied issues
• Review tenancy agreements so tenants have a clear route to report hazards and you have a clear right of access to inspect and remedy them
• Watch for the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 secondary legislation that will commence Awaab’s Law for private rentals

For the wider context, read our overview of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and our guide to the upcoming PRS Database registration.

Speak to our property litigation team

Our landlord and tenant solicitors advise private landlords on hazard response, disrepair claims and compliance with the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, and act for tenants whose landlords have failed to remedy serious problems with the property.

Call us on 020 7485 8811 or contact us online to speak to a member of the team.