Changes to Awaab’s Law October 2025: Social landlords forced to investigate
Changes to Awaab’s Law set by the government mean that social landlords will now be forced to investigate and fix dangerous damp and mould in set periods of time, according to a new government press release.
From October this year, landlords will have to fix dangerous homes promptly, and repair all emergency hazards within 24 hours – or they will face the full force of the law.
The push for Awaab’s Law is part of the government’s goal to transform the quality and safety of social housing.
Landlords will be taken to court if they fail to comply
Landlords that don’t comply can face being taken to court, and tenants are able to use the full powers of the law to hold them accountable.
The law will be introduced through a phased approach, ensuring it’s applied with as much impact as possible. As it is focused on protecting social tenants from damp and mould, not a wider group of hazards, it will apparently be introduced quickly.
This also means that the government will be able to trial and learn from the process, so that they can ensure that tenants benefit from the new laws and that Awaab’s family are brought to justice.
Quoted in the government press release, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, said:
We have a moral duty to ensure tragedies like the death of Awaab Ishak never happen again.
Landlords cannot be allowed to rent out dangerous homes and shamelessly put the lives of their tenants at risk.
Our new laws will force them to fix problems quickly, so that people are safe in their homes and can be proud to live in social housing.
The government’s plan is to make the law stronger over time, with a step-by-step approach, so that landlords will be required to fix all dangerous hazards from 2027.
Awaab’s Law will set strong and clear laws, with a focus on creating safe homes and environments for social tenants – as well as meeting the standards set by the Decent Homes Standard.
In the same article, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said:
Awaab’s Law
Awaab Ishak – Credit: Family Handout/PA
Awaab’s Law was created after the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in December 2020 following extensive exposure to mould in the home he lived in with his parents – which was rented from Rochdale Boroughwide Housing.
In the consultation for Awaab’s Law, previous Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove said: “His parents raised concerns about their living conditions time and again. The landlord not only repeatedly failed to act, but shamefully blamed the family for causing the hazardous mould.”
The petition for the law was created by Awaab’s parents, in partnership with Manchester Evening News and Shelter. Awaab’s Law was introduced in the landmark Social Housing Regulation Act 2023.
The government’s phased approach will work as follows (From gov.uk):
- From October 2025 social landlords will have to address damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm to tenants to fixed timescales.
- From October 2025 social landlords will also have to address all emergency repairs including for damp and mould or other hazards as soon as possible and within no longer than 24 hours.
- In 2026, requirements will expand to apply to a wider range of hazards. In addition to damp and mould, the hazards we expect to extend Awaab’s Law to in this second stage of implementation include excess cold and excess heat; falls; structural collapse; fire, electrical and explosions; and hygiene hazards.
- Then in 2027, the requirements of Awaab’s Law will expand to the remaining hazards as defined by the HHSRS (excluding overcrowding). The full list of hazards can be found in schedule 1 to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) Regulations 2005.
Though the changes to Awaab’s Law will not be implemented until October 2025, social landlords still have a duty to provide safe homes for their tenants and continue to fix dangerous issues as they arise.
Read more here.
