Awaab’s Law: What social landlords need to know (2025 update)

In 2020, two-year-old Awaab Ishak tragically died after prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s social housing flat. Despite repeated complaints from his parents, repairs were delayed, dismissed as “lifestyle issues,” and never fixed.

This case exposed a wider problem in UK housing: damp, mould, and other hazards were often ignored, leaving families at risk.

The Government responded by passing the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, which introduced Awaab’s Law – a new set of strict requirements for how quickly social landlords must act when serious hazards are reported.

What Is Awaab’s Law?

Awaab’s Law is designed to make sure no family has to live in unsafe housing again. It gives tenants stronger rights and puts strict legal deadlines on landlords.

• Applies to all social landlords in England – councils, housing associations, ALMOs.
• Built into tenancy agreements automatically – no special contract wording required.
• Strict timeframes for action – landlords must investigate and fix hazards within set deadlines.
• Tenant enforcement – if landlords don’t comply, tenants can take action through the courts, the Housing Ombudsman, or the Regulator of Social Housing.

It’s part of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 covering England and Wales, but Scotland is expected to implement similar regulations imminently. 

When does Awaab’s Law start?

The rollout begins in October 2025 and will happen in three phases:

• Phase 1 (2025): Damp, mould, and emergency hazards.
• Phase 2 (2026): Expands to high-risk issues like fire safety, dangerous electrics or gas, excessive cold/heat, structural risks, sanitation problems.
• Phase 3 (2027): Covers almost all remaining hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).

What counts as a hazard?

A hazard is anything that can harm health or safety inside a property. Under Awaab’s Law, landlords must act if there’s a real risk, particularly for vulnerable tenants such as children, older people, or disabled tenants.

Key point: mould is never just “lifestyle.” Landlords can’t dismiss it as tenant behaviour – they must act.

Timeframes landlords must follow

The deadlines are strict and start the day a landlord becomes aware of the problem (via tenant report, inspection, contractor, local authority, or even sensor data).

• Emergency hazards: Investigate within 24 hours, make the home safe immediately, or provide safe alternative housing.
• Significant hazards (like mould, electrical faults, broken heating in winter): Investigate within 10 working days. Confirm findings in writing within 3 working days. Start repairs within 5 working days – or within 12 weeks if work is complex.

Tenants must be kept informed throughout.

What happens if landlords don’t comply?

Failure to meet the deadlines has serious consequences:

• Legal claims and compensation payouts.
• Orders forcing immediate repairs.
• Heavy fines and regulatory action.
• Reputational damage in press and communities.
• Loss of tenant trust.

For tenants, this law is a powerful tool. For landlords, it’s a major compliance challenge.

How Archangel can help

Meeting the deadlines of Awaab’s Law won’t be without its challenges – but proactive landlords can get ahead now.

At Archangel, we provide an IoT-powered platform that integrates with a wide range of sensors to help landlords:

• Detect hazards like damp and mould before tenants need to complain.
• Log and track issues automatically for governance and compliance.
• Provide real-time alerts for emergencies.
• Support transparent tenant communication with clear updates.

By moving from reactive repairs to proactive monitoring, social landlords can protect tenants, avoid legal risks, and build trust.

In summary

Awaab’s Law – part of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 – is one of the biggest shake-ups in UK housing regulation in decades.

• Tenants gain stronger rights and faster repairs.
• Landlords face strict deadlines and higher accountability.
• Compliance requires better systems, monitoring, and transparency.

With rollout starting in October 2025, now is the time to act.

Get in touch to learn more.