After being introduced to parliament in July 2023, Awaab’s Law will finally come into force in October 2025, and will bring vast change to the social renting sector in terms of providing better protection for tenants facing issues with damp and mould.  

Awaab Ishak died in December 2020 just after his second birthday. His death was the result of a severe respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to damp and mould in the home he shared with his parents in Rochdale. No action was taken by the landlord to treat or prevent mould in the home. A campaign launched by Awaab’s parents, the Manchester Evening News and the charity Shelter resulted in a petition which has helped to influence the introduction of the Social Housing (Regulations) Act in July 2023, of which Awaab’s Law forms a significant part.  

What is Awaab’s Law?

The new regulations provide further protections for tenants living in hazardous conditions and provide them with greater power to challenge these conditions. The objective of the new regulations is to ensure landlords invest in repairs, put prevention systems in place and essentially change the culture of housing management. 

Awaab’s Law means that social housing tenancy agreements must ensure that landlords are complying with the new regulations, and can be held accountable through a breach of contract if they fail to do so. The law effectively means that landlords must respond to repair reports in a timely manner, and the changes are being introduced in a phased approach. 

• From October 2025 – Landlords in social housing will have fixed timescales in which to address damp and mould issues that represent significant potential harm to tenants. They will also be required to address all emergency repairs as soon as possible, and within no longer than 24 hours.  

• In 2026 – These same requirements will be expanded to include a wider range of hazards. This list has not yet been fully determined, but is likely to include higher priority incidents of excess cold and heat, structural issues, fires, electrical issues, explosions and hygiene hazards.  

• In 2027 – Awaab’s Law will be expanded further to include all remaining hazards as defined in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System documentation.  

What does this mean for social housing tenants?

To summarise, the introduction of Awaab’s Law means three important things for social housing tenants: 

• Report – Tenants must report issues with damp and mould to their landlord as soon as possible, and must include detailed information to help with repairs and prevention. 

• Cooperation – Tenants must cooperate with their landlord in addressing the issue. This means they must provide access to the property for inspections and for repair work, and they must adhere to any instructions and advice given in terms of preventing further issues.  

• Understand – Tenants should read their tenancy agreement and understand that they have rights to a home that is free of hazards such as damp and mould. They should also have knowledge of the legal avenues they can take to address the issue if this is not complied with.  

Contact Legal HD for help and guidance with damp and mould issues

At Legal HD we very much welcome these developments and are very happy to see better protections put in place to help prevent further incidents such as the tragedy involving Awaab Ishak. Beyond this, we passionately believe that social housing tenants have a fundamental right to live in a safe and comfortable home and these new regulations put a better framework in place to ensure that.  

As a housing disrepair claim specialist, we can help in the event that a landlord has failed to comply with these regulations and has allowed damp and mould problems to become hazardous. So if you have reported a damp and mould issue and it has not been addressed, then contact Legal HD and you may be able to start a housing disrepair claim today.