Five years on, Awaab’s law finally becomes law
Property industry broadly welcomes new damp and mould rules but warns tight timescales could set landlords up to fail.
Five years after two-year-old Awaab Ishak (pictured) died from mould exposure in his Rochdale home, Awaab’s Law has finally come into force for social housing and private landlords will follow “as fast as possible”, according to Housing Secretary Steve Reed (pictured).
The legislation has applied to social housing since Monday, 27 October, with the Government committed to extending it to private landlords through the Renters’ Rights Bill, which received Royal Assent last night, with implementation expected in early to mid-2026.
Under Awaab’s Law, social landlords must fix emergency health and safety hazards within 24 hours of being reported. They must also investigate damp and mould within 10 working days and make properties safe within five working days.
Those failing to comply face court action, enforcement orders, compensation payments and loss of rent if homes are uninhabitable.
Awaab’s family has fought hard for change, and their work to protect millions of tenants’ lives will live on as a legacy to their son.”
Reed says: “Awaab Ishak is a powerful reminder of how this can sadly be a matter of life or death. Awaab’s family has fought hard for change, and their work to protect millions of tenants’ lives will live on as a legacy to their son.”
Phase two next year will expand to cover hazards including excess cold and heat, fire and electrical risks. Phase three in 2027 extends to all remaining hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
The law has been broadly welcomed by the property industry. Gavin Smart, Chief Executive at the Chartered Institute of Housing, says it is “a significant step in ensuring that all social housing tenants live in safe and decent homes.” Richard Blakeway, the housing ombudsman, says Awaab’s Law is a “vital way to improve housing conditions and strengthen residents’ rights”.
Extreme pressure
However, building pathology specialist Michael Parrett warns the tight timescales could cause problems: “What it’s going to do is put landlords under extreme pressure. They are stretched already. I think in some cases it will set up landlords to fail.”
And some housing campaigners also question how effective the law will be, given implementation challenges. Tom Darling, director of Renters Reform Coalition, says: “We’ve heard nothing from the government about when it will apply to private renters. That needs to happen urgently, and the protections be watertight.”
The Government has launched a £1 million fund to improve tenant engagement, with grants of up to £100,000 for schemes improving communication between landlords and tenants.
I visited a “damp” house yesterday which the previous tenants repeatedly report was damp with black mould. We had a damp company report which said it was condensation caused by lack of heat and ventilation. New tenants have not a sign of damp no condensation but the vents on the windows were open and the house felt cosy.
Perhaps if we educated some people on what the cause of condensation is and how to prevent it rather than immediately hammer landlords we might get somewhere. Oh and lets not forget we have some of the most expensive heating in the world which does not help.