Awaab’s Law for private landlords: what it means and when
Awaab’s Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who died in 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s social housing flat. It sets hard deadlines for dealing with dangerous hazards. Private landlords keep hearing it’s coming for them. It is, but it isn’t here yet.
Luke AshtonFounder of Bricky Bot and Based Lettings · Updated The short answer (England, as of October 2026)
- Social landlords: Awaab’s Law has applied since 27 October 2025, with set timescales to investigate and fix damp and mould and emergency hazards.
- Private landlords: not yet in force. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (section 60) gives the power to extend it, but that section hasn’t been commenced, no regulations exist, and the government says it will consult on the details and timescales first. No date has been set.
- Already the law for private landlords: the home must be fit for human habitation (including free from damp), repairs must be done, and councils can enforce against damp and mould under the HHSRS.
- Best preparation: log every report the day it arrives, triage it, act fast and keep the evidence. That’s what the eventual rules will measure.
This guide covers England. Wales and Scotland have their own rules.
What Awaab’s Law is
The law is section 10A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. It implies a term into the tenancy that the landlord will comply with requirements set by regulations to deal with prescribed hazards within set periods. Because it’s a term of the tenancy, the tenant can enforce it in court; it’s not only a matter for the council. A landlord has a defence if they “used all reasonable endeavours” to avoid the breach.
For social housing, the requirements are in the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025, in force from 27 October 2025. The first phase covers significant hazards from damp, mould or fungal growth, and emergency hazards. GOV.UK has published the regulations as they apply from 30 November 2026, covering phase 2 for social landlords.
The timescales social landlords work to
These are the social-housing deadlines in force now. They show the shape of what’s coming, not the private-sector rules:
| Step | Deadline (social housing) |
|---|---|
| Investigate a reported concern (significant hazard) | 10 working days from becoming aware |
| Written summary of the findings to the tenant | 3 working days after the investigation |
| Safety work for a significant hazard | 5 working days after the investigation |
| Emergency hazard: investigate and make safe | 24 hours |
| Supplementary preventative work | Begin within 5 working days (or take steps to begin as soon as reasonably practicable) |
| Work can’t be done in time | Offer suitable alternative accommodation |
Source: Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025, regs 5–16, simplified.
The private rented sector: where things stand
Section 60 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 rewrites section 10A so it applies to any lease of a dwelling-house in England for less than seven years, not just social housing. Section 61 adds a matching power for licences to occupy. As of 1 October 2026 both sections are shown on legislation.gov.uk as prospective: not in force at Royal Assent, and no commencement date appointed.
Even once commenced, the sections only create the power. The actual duties will come from new regulations. The government has said:
We will extend Awaab’s Law to the PRS, setting clear legally enforceable timeframes within which PRS landlords must make homes safe where they contain serious hazards. … We will consult on the details of this policy, including implementation timescales, in due course.
Implementing the Renters’ Rights Act 2025: our roadmap, GOV.UK, 13 November 2025 (phase 3, “TBC – subject to consultation”)
The New Decent Homes Standard policy statement (January 2026) repeats that the government will consult “in due course”. We’re not aware of a published private-sector consultation as of 1 October 2026. When one appears, it will tell you which hazards are covered and how long you’ll have; until then, any specific private-landlord deadline you see quoted is a guess.
Grey areas worth flagging
- Will the timescales match social housing? Unknown. The Act lets regulations set different periods and apply to only some hazards, so the private-sector version may differ.
- Existing tenancies and hazards. The Act allows the regulations to cover tenancies granted, and hazards that began, before commencement. Whether they will is for the consultation.
- HMOs let room by room on licences. Section 61 is there for licences to occupy, but which licences will be covered is left to regulations.
What the law already requires of private landlords
| Rule | What it means for damp and mould |
|---|---|
| Fitness for human habitation (LTA 1985, s.9A) | The home must be fit to live in throughout the tenancy. Section 10 lists “freedom from damp” among the matters that count. Tenants can sue. |
| Repairing obligations (LTA 1985, s.11) | Keep the structure, exterior and installations (water, gas, heating, sanitation) in repair once you’re told. |
| HHSRS (Housing Health and Safety (Rating System) (England) Regulations 2005) | “Damp and mould growth” is a listed hazard. Councils can serve improvement notices, and failing to comply can mean a civil penalty. |
| HMO management regulations | HMO managers must keep the house, its common parts and fixtures in good and safe repair. |
| Decent Homes Standard (policy statement) | Will apply to private rented homes from 2035, including a criterion that homes are free from damp and mould. |
GOV.UK’s guidance, Damp and mould: understanding and addressing the health risks, is written for social and private landlords alike and is worth reading in full.
A practical way to handle damp, mould and repair reports
You don’t need to wait for the regulations. A process that would meet the social-housing timescales today will be defensible whatever the private-sector version says.
1. Log every report the day it arrives
Reports come in by WhatsApp, text, email, portal and in passing at a viewing. Each one goes in one log with the date and time you were told, who told you, the room, and the photos. The clock starts when you become aware, not when you get round to it.
2. Triage within a day
- Emergency: anything posing an imminent risk (gas smell, electrics, no heating for a vulnerable occupier, water through a ceiling near wiring). Act the same day.
- Significant: damp and mould in a bedroom, spreading mould, a leak, condensation with a vulnerable occupier (a baby, someone with a respiratory condition). Investigate within days.
- Routine: everything else, with a date.
3. Investigate the cause, not the symptom
Wiping mould off a wall closes a ticket and fixes nothing. Find out whether it’s a leak, rising or penetrating damp, or condensation from poor ventilation or heating, and record what you found.
4. Tell the tenant in writing
A short summary: what you found, what you’ll do and when, and who to contact. It’s good practice now and is exactly what the social-housing rules require.
5. Fix it, then check it stayed fixed
Record the contractor, the work, the cost and the completion date, then follow up a few weeks later. Mould that comes back is a new report, not the old one closed.
6. Keep the evidence
Dated photos, messages, contractor reports and access attempts (including when a tenant didn’t let you in). The defence in section 10A is “all reasonable endeavours”, and the HHSRS and fitness cases turn on what you knew and when. Your log is the answer.
If you want the logging, triage and evidence handled for you, that’s what landlord maintenance software is for.
Questions landlords ask
Does Awaab’s Law apply to private landlords?
Not yet, as of October 2026. Awaab’s Law applies to social landlords in England from 27 October 2025. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 contains the power to extend it to private tenancies (section 60), but that section is not in force, no regulations have been made and the government has said it will consult on the details and timescales first.
When will Awaab’s Law apply to the private rented sector?
No date has been set. The government’s implementation roadmap puts it in phase 3 of the Renters’ Rights Act, marked “TBC – subject to consultation”. It needs a consultation, then regulations approved by Parliament, then a commencement date.
What are the Awaab’s Law timescales?
For social landlords: investigate a reported damp and mould hazard within 10 working days, give the tenant a written summary within 3 working days of the investigation, complete safety work for a significant hazard within 5 working days, and deal with emergency hazards within 24 hours, or rehouse the tenant. The private-sector timescales haven’t been set and could differ.
What do private landlords have to do about damp and mould now?
Keep the home fit for human habitation (Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.9A, which lists freedom from damp), carry out repairs under s.11, and expect council enforcement under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, where damp and mould growth is a listed hazard. In practice: respond quickly, find the cause, fix it and keep a record.
Does Awaab’s Law apply in Wales or Scotland?
No. Awaab’s Law is English law, for social housing in England now and, once extended, for private tenancies in England. Wales and Scotland have their own housing standards.
Never lose a repair report again
Bricky is an AI lettings team for HMO landlords and letting agents. It logs issues straight from the house chat and from emails, suggests the fix that worked last time and keeps the history, with nothing sent to a tenant or contractor until you approve it.
Book a demoSources
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.10A, s.9A, s.10 and s.11 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Renters’ Rights Act 2025, s.60 and s.61 (legislation.gov.uk, prospective as of 1 October 2026)
- Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Awaab’s Law: regulations (GOV.UK)
- Implementing the Renters’ Rights Act 2025: our roadmap (GOV.UK, 13 November 2025)
- Guide to the Renters’ Rights Act (GOV.UK)
- The New Decent Homes Standard: policy statement (GOV.UK, 28 January 2026)
- Housing Health and Safety (Rating System) (England) Regulations 2005 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Damp and mould: understanding and addressing the health risks for rented housing providers (GOV.UK)
This guide explains the law in England as it stands on 1 October 2026. It isn’t legal advice; for a dispute, speak to a solicitor or your landlord association.