Awaab’s Law requires social housing providers to deal with emergency repairs and hazards within certain timeframes.
This is a major change for the social rented sector and is likely to prove challenging for some landlords.
This article covers everything you need to know about Awaab’s Law. We explain what it is, how it is being implemented and how the UK social housing sector can comply.
Highlights:
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Awaab’s Law is named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died from a respiratory illness caused by damp and mould in his social housing flat.
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Landlords must make emergency hazards safe within 24 hours. If more extensive work is needed, it must be started within 12 weeks.
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Significant hazards must be investigated within 10 working days.
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Once an investigation is complete, the home must be made safe within five working days.
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Further preventative works must be started within five days of the investigation’s conclusion.
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More complex preventative works must be started as soon as practicable, and within a maximum of 12 weeks.
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Hazards are defined under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
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Tenants can take landlords to court if they fail to comply.
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Digital repair platforms like EVO can help landlords meet the new requirements.
Why Was Awaab’s Law Introduced?
In December 2020, two-year-old Awaab Ishak died from a respiratory illness caused by damp and mould in his family’s social housing flat.
The family had contacted their landlord on several occasions to report conditions in the flat.
However, the landlord failed to act. An inquest concluded in November 2022 that the landlord was responsible for Awaab’s death.
The tragedy led the government to amend the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 to prevent similar deaths. The new amendment was named “Awaab’s Law”.
Awaab’s Law will force landlords to respond quickly to housing hazards or face regulatory or legal action, as well as reputational damage.
The law aims to protect people from potential significant hazards and health or safety risks like damp, mould, fire risks, or structural defects by ensuring landlords cannot ignore them.
It’s also about recognising the human impact of unsafe housing and ensuring every resident has a home that is safe, healthy, and fit to live in.
Landlords struggle to perform satisfactory repairs
Sadly, Awaab Ishak’s case is not an isolated incident. You only have to visit the Housing Ombudsman’s website to see hundreds of examples where landlords have failed to deal with repair issues satisfactorily.
Many housing providers face several organisational issues that mean they struggle to meet resident expectations. These include:
Poor knowledge and information management: Some landlords struggle to track hazards and responses across their properties consistently. At the same time, weak data systems make it difficult to evidence compliance.
Poor resident communication: Delays in updating residents can quickly undermine trust and escalate issues into formal complaints.
Not fixing the root cause: Some landlords make repairs, but fail to fix the underlying cause. This is especially true when it comes to damp and mould, pests, leaks, noise and antisocial behaviour.
Cultural change: Many housing professionals still rely on outdated systems and processes to deliver reactive repairs. To comply with Awaab’s Law and improve resident satisfaction, landlords need to move towards a more proactive, tenant-focused approach. This means investing in cultural change, staff training, and adopting more transparent, efficient, and flexible ways of working, underpinned by updated policies and procedures.
These organisational challenges have resulted in unacceptably low levels of satisfaction in the social housing sector.
For example, the 2024 Tenant Satisfaction Measure (TSM) data from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) showed that around 30% of residents are not satisfied with their housing provider, with poor repairs and maintenance being a significant driving force.
Awaab’s Law will help force poor-performing housing providers to change their approach and deliver better quality housing to their residents.
What Are Landlords’ Responsibilities under Awaab’s Law?
Awaab’s Law applies to almost all homes let by registered providers of social housing in England, including temporary and supported accommodation occupied under a tenancy.
It does not apply to shared ownership properties during their initial repair period, some temporary accommodation arrangements or long leases over 21 years.
Awaab’s Law will be automatically implied in all social housing tenancy agreements. In other words, housing providers must comply with it, whether they have updated their agreements or not.
The law requires that landlords must:
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Investigate any health and safety hazard that poses a significant risk of harm to residents within 10 working days of becoming aware of it.
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Provide a written summary of the investigation outcome to the tenant within three working days of the investigation concluding.
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Take action on emergency hazards as soon as reasonably practicable and within 24 hours.
For significant damp and mould hazards, landlords must:
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Make the home safe within five working days of the investigation.
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Start further preventative works within five days of the investigation’s conclusion.
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Begin more extensive relevant safety work (to prevent recurrence) within 12 weeks.
Landlords must also provide alternative accommodation if there is an imminent risk of harm and the property cannot be made safe within the required timescales.
Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, landlords already had to carry out repairs within a “reasonable time period,” but what counted as reasonable was often disputed.
Awaab’s Law removes that ambiguity by setting clear, legally binding deadlines for investigating and fixing hazards, making it far easier for tenants to hold social landlords to account.
What counts as a hazard?
Awaab’s Law uses the hazards listed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
Under the law, hazards are divided into two categories based on the level of risk they pose to the resident:
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Emergency hazards: Present an imminent risk to life or serious harm.
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Significant hazards: Present the risk of serious, but not imminent, harm.
As noted above, it’s not just the hazard itself that decides whether it is an emergency or poses a significant risk, but how it would affect the tenant.
For example, older residents are more susceptible to bathroom falls. This kind of hazard is also more likely to cause them long-term injury or leave them with a disability.
Fixing serious hazards relating to bathrooms will likely be a higher priority where the resident is older.
The full list of 29 HHSRS hazards include:
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Damp and mould growth
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Excess cold
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Excess heat
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Asbestos and man-made fibres (MMF)
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Biocides
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Carbon monoxide and fuel combustion products
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Lead
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Radiation
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Uncombusted fuel gas
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Volatile organic compounds
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Crowding and space
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Entry by intruders
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Lighting
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Noise
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Domestic hygiene, pests and refuse
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Food safety
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Personal hygiene, sanitation and drainage
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Water supply
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Falls associated with baths, etc.
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Falling on level surfaces, etc.
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Falling on stairs, etc.
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Falling between levels
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Electrical hazards
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Fire
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Flames, hot surfaces, etc.
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Collision and entrapment
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Explosions
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Position and operability of amenities, etc.
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Structural collapse and falling elements
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💡 What are lifestyle issues? |
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The existence of damp and mould in housing is sometimes attributed to factors related to resident lifestyle.
This usually covers everyday activities that create moisture in the air. Examples include:
💡 Cooking 💡 Drying clothes 💡 Taking baths and showers These are common activities that everyone should be able to do safely in their home.
These activities create condensation, which can create mould. However, properties should be fitted with adequate ventilation to deal with this - which is the landlord’s responsibility.
Furthermore, these activities do not create damp, which is caused by issues relating to the building fabric - once again, fixing this is the landlord’s responsibility. |
Phased Introduction
Awaab’s Law will be introduced in phases:
27 October 2025: From this date the law will be applied to all emergency hazards, as well as damp and mould cases that risk serious but not immediate harm.
During 2026: The law will be applied to some hazards that pose a significant risk of harm to social tenants, such as excess cold and heat, falls, structural collapse and explosions, fire, electrical safety, and domestic or personal hygiene and food safety.
By 2027: The law will cover all remaining significant risk hazards, except for overcrowding.
Awaab’s Law: A Step-by-Step Process
Understanding the requirements mentioned above can be confusing. We’ve summarised them into simple steps you can take to comply and protect residents from serious hazards.
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Assess the level of risk
Determine whether an issue is an emergency or poses a significant risk of harm immediately. Consider the condition reported, the household’s vulnerabilities, and any immediate safety concerns. For example, a broken lock in a property where children live on a busy road could be classed as an emergency hazard requiring immediate action.
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Investigate
This step depends on whether you are dealing with a significant or emergency hazard:
Emergency hazard: Investigate within 24 hours. The investigation can be carried out remotely (e.g., video evidence) or in person, but must be competent and thorough enough to determine the level of risk.
Significant hazard: Investigate within 10 working days. Again, this can be remote unless the tenant requests an in-person inspection.
It’s acceptable to reasonably extend the investigations if:
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The resident asks for a follow-up in-person inspection after a remote one.
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Further investigations are required if the cause or extent of the hazard is unclear. This might include commissioning a structural survey for recurring damp.
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Send the resident a written summary
Within three working days of completing an investigation, social landlords must provide tenants with a written summary of the findings. This should explain:
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Whether the hazard was found to be significant or an emergency.
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What action is required and by when.
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If no action is necessary, the reasons why.
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How the tenant can contact the landlord with further concerns.
A summary isn’t required if the issue has been fully fixed within the three days. However, the landlord must still write to the resident and confirm that the work is complete.
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Offer suitable alternative accommodation if required
If you cannot make the property safe within the required timescales, you must offer suitable alternative accommodation for the residents until the works are complete.
This includes the whole household and must take into account needs such as space, location, and accessibility. The alternative accommodation must be provided at the social landlord’s expense.
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Take remedial action
This also depends on what level of hazard has been identified.
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Emergency hazards must be made safe within 24 hours of the landlord being made aware of them.
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Significant hazards must be made safe within five working days of the investigation.
Where full remedial work is more complex, social landlords must at least begin or take steps to begin supplementary works within five days of the investigation, with a hard deadline of 12 weeks to start more extensive repairs.
This could involve temporary measures to make something safe, while a full repair is organised.
For example, if a property has exposed electrical wiring, then the landlord should isolate the affected circuit to remove danger, while an electrician is sourced to rewire the fittings.
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Keep the resident informed
Throughout the process, you must keep the resident updated on progress.
This includes explaining what has been done so far, reasons for any delays, and what the tenant can do to stay safe while waiting for works to be completed.
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Follow up with the resident
After the works are completed, you should follow up with the resident to ensure they have been carried out:
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To a satisfactory standard.
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Within a “reasonable” period.
What is reasonable will depend on the case. The most important thing is to ensure the hazard is resolved correctly and does not recur.
Example: Damp and mould in a child’s bedroom
A tenant reports widespread mould in their child’s bedroom. The landlord treats this as a potential emergency hazard due to the child’s vulnerability.
A contractor attends within 24 hours, confirms it is an emergency, and carries out a mould wash the same day.
Within three days, the tenant receives a written summary confirming the findings and the need for further work.
The landlord begins supplementary repairs within five days by booking a roofing contractor to address the underlying leak and a plasterer to repair the water ingress damage.
The full works start within 12 weeks. The landlord follows up afterwards to confirm the mould has not returned.
Landlords should keep detailed records
As well as meeting strict investigation, repair and communication deadlines, social landlords must also keep a clear audit trail of everything they do when handling hazards.
For example, if deadlines cannot be met for reasons outside the landlord’s control, those reasons must be documented and evidenced.
Not only is record keeping good practice under Awaab’s Law, it also ensures transparency, gives tenants confidence that their case is being handled properly, and provides protection if the Ombudsman, the Regulator, or the courts later challenge the landlord.
Awaab’s Law to be Applied to the Private Rented Sector
The government has confirmed that Awaab’s Law will also be extended to the private rented sector (PRS) as part of the Renters’ Rights Bill.
Additionally, the Scottish Government has announced plans to amend the Housing (Scotland) Bill to establish statutory timeframes for landlords to investigate potential hazards and resolve disrepair issues.
No deadlines have been set for these changes. However, private landlords may wish to get systems in place to deal quickly with emergency hazards now. This will save a last-minute rush and the risk of litigation from residents.
What Guidance is There for Social Landlords?
In June 2025, the government published draft statutory guidance on how social landlords should comply with Awaab’s Law. This guidance confirms the specific timeframes for investigating hazards, communicating with residents, and carrying out remedial works. Finalised guidance will be published in October 2025, alongside separate information for residents.
The Housing Ombudsman has also produced learning reports and training resources to support practical implementation.
These highlight:
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The importance of good knowledge and information management (to track hazards and responses).
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Lessons from maladministration cases where delays caused serious harm.
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The need for clear communication with tenants about investigation findings, outcomes, and repairs.
What Happens if Social Landlords Don’t Comply with Awaab’s Law?
As mentioned earlier, Awaab’s Law will now be implicit in all social housing tenancy agreements.
This means if a housing provider fails to comply with Awaab’s Law, then the affected resident can:
⚠️ Take them to court for breach of contract and claim compensation.
⚠️ Escalate a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman.
The Regulator of Social Housing now has the ability to issue unlimited fines or enter a property with 48 hours' notice to survey its condition.
What Impact Does Awaab’s Law Have on Landlords?
Awaab’s Law means social landlords must make repairs within strict timelines.
However, many social landlords already struggle to meet targets. A study by Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors found that 36% of all social housing tenants surveyed had to wait over six months for a repair to be carried out.
Many housing providers failing to meet targets are likely struggling with stretched resources and limited budgets. Others have long repair backlogs left over from the pandemic.
Their systems for handling repairs and maintenance are also likely outdated. For example, many social housing providers communicate with residents, employees, and tradespeople using email, letters, and phone calls.
Traditional communication channels like these are often slow - for example, an email may not be read for a number of days. And repairs reported to call centres may take significant time to be passed on to the correct departments.
No responsible landlord wants to leave residents with outstanding repairs for longer than necessary. We welcome Awaab's Law, but meeting its targets will require organisational and cultural change that some landlords will find challenging.
The example in the next section helps explain why.
Example: High demand for boiler engineers
Each year in early winter, there is a high demand for boiler repairs. This is because people switch on their heating for the first time and discover their boiler has a fault.
Not having functioning heating could be life-threatening for vulnerable residents, and it requires emergency repair within 24 hours. So it’s conceivable that a landlord would face a spike in demand for boiler engineers.
To meet the demands of this situation, a social housing landlord would need:
✔️ A fast way for residents to report problems and for relevant tradespeople to be assigned.
✔️ Multiple contractors available to perform emergency repairs.
✔️ Those contractors would need the information and resources to complete the job within one visit.
✔️ A fast way to QA and sign work off so they can quickly move to the next job.
Setting up a system like this is difficult and expensive. For example, how can you ensure contractors won’t be busy with other customers? You could employ your own dedicated boiler engineers, but that would inevitably be expensive, especially during busy periods.
Luckily there is a solution: digital tools.
How Digital Tools Can Help
Digital tools enable social housing providers to comply with Awaab’s Law and provide a great tenant experience.
The main benefits of digital tools are:
💬 Communication: Residents, landlords and tradespeople can communicate instantaneously, allowing contractors to receive emergency jobs immediately and provide the quickest possible response.
🤖 Automation: Repairs are automatically assigned - no more phoning around to find an available tradesperson.
📊 Access to data: The right people can access the data and information they need to complete the repair efficiently.
At EVO, we’ve long understood that these three benefits could help transform the quality of UK social housing and the tenant experience.
That’s why we developed an end-to-end digital platform to which landlords can outsource their repairs and maintenance.
Perform rapid emergency repairs with EVO
We’ve been providing our clients with a 24-hour emergency repair service for many years now, with great success.
Here’s how it works:
✅ Easily request emergency repairs
We provide residents with a mobile phone app to manage their repairs and maintenance requests.
It includes a dedicated button to report emergencies.
Reporting a repair takes about 30 seconds, and it’s much quicker than being stuck on the phone.
The resident is then informed about who is coming and when, and notified about the repair’s progress.
✅ Automated job booking
EVO has a dedicated 24/7 emergency network. Someone will be immediately dispatched to deal with the issue.
✅ Video triage
While the resident is waiting, we offer a video triage call. This enables us to gain more information about the problem so we can solve it first time. We may also be able to help the resident solve the issue themselves.
✅ Access to property data
We provide all the information a contractor needs to prepare and complete the repair first time.
Examples of the information provided include:
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Property service history allows recurring problems to be identified.
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Enriched property information such as whether the flat is on the top floor.
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Details on the property’s utilities to help tradespeople bring the right parts or tools.
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Simple, practical information that avoids wasted time - for example, explaining where the stopcock is or where to park.
✅ 12-month EVO guarantee
All repairs made by EVO are guaranteed for 12 months, so you can be confident that the repairs we make will last.
✅ Avoid damp and mould
EVO provides IoT devices that allow social landlords to monitor moisture levels in homes.
Information from these detectors is automatically collected and analysed. This helps landlords to identify properties suffering from or at risk of condensation, damp and mould.
They can then take proactive action to deal with the issue before the symptoms hit. This is far better than waiting for your residents to experience problems.
✅ Collect and analyse repairs and maintenance data
EVO enables you to collect data from across your repairs and maintenance operations. This allows you to identify trends, which in turn helps you plan budgets and resources more effectively.
For example, a large data sample might show that a certain component tends to fail after a certain time period. This information allows you to carry out planned preventative maintenance or replace it before that happens.
EVO: Helping You Comply with Awaab’s Law
Awaab’s Law will help ensure that other families don’t suffer the loss of a loved one due to poor-quality housing. It is critical to improving the quality of residents' homes and lives.
Awaab’s Law will help ensure that other families are protected from the severe health risks and potential harm associated with poor-quality housing.
Implementing the law will be challenging for many struggling housing associations.
However, digital tools like EVO can help landlords efficiently deal with emergency repairs and hazards, as well as damp and mould.
EVO ensures that your entire repairs and maintenance operation runs smoothly, meaning happy residents and less work for you.
Contact us today to discover how EVO can help your organisation comply with Awaab’s Law.
PHOTO BY EVO
