Awaab’s Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s social-rented flat in Rochdale. It turns the vague duty to repair “within a reasonable time” into fixed deadlines for investigating and fixing dangerous hazards. Landlords hear about it constantly, but the position for private landlords is often misreported. This guide separates what is law, what is proposed, and what already applies to you. It is a checklist, not legal advice.
The short version
| Social landlords | Private landlords | |
|---|---|---|
| Awaab’s Law timescales | In force since 27 October 2025 | Proposed (consultation to 18 December 2026) |
| Legal basis | SI 2025/1042, under ss.10A–10B Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 | Renters’ Rights Act 2025, s.60 (prospective) |
| Earliest start | Already applies; phase 2 planned from 30 November 2026 | 2027 at the earliest; phased 2028–2030 in the impact assessment |
| Existing duties | Same as below, plus Awaab’s Law | Repairs (s.11 LTA 1985), fitness (s.9A), council enforcement (Housing Act 2004) |
Proposed (consultation) as of 25 October 2026 Consultation: Extending Awaab’s Law to private rented tenancies and to licences (9 Oct – 18 Dec 2026)
What Awaab’s Law requires of social landlords
The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025, SI 2025/1042, were made on 23 September 2025 and came into force on 27 October 2025. They set these clocks:
- Emergency hazards: investigate and make safe within 24 hours (reg. 5).
- Investigation of a significant hazard: within 10 working days of becoming aware of it (reg. 6(4)).
- Written summary to the tenant: within 3 working days of the investigation ending (reg. 9(4)).
- Safety work: within 5 working days of the investigation ending (reg. 11(2)(a)).
- Supplementary preventative work: start within 5 working days, or if that is not practicable “as soon as reasonably practicable” and within 12 weeks. Finish “within a reasonable period” (reg. 13).
In this first phase, “significant hazards” means damp and mould. Emergency hazards cover every hazard except overcrowding. A GOV.UK page published on 13 July 2026 shows how the rules will read “from 30 November 2026”, once amending regulations “come into force (subject to Parliamentary approval)”. That second phase widens the hazards covered. We have not found the amending instrument’s number, so treat that date as planned.
What “working days” means in practice
Working days exclude weekends and bank holidays. Take a damp report received on Friday 16 October 2026:
| Step | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Investigate (10 working days) | Friday 30 October 2026 |
| Written summary (3 working days after an investigation finishing 30 October) | Wednesday 4 November 2026 |
| Safety work (5 working days after the investigation) | Friday 6 November 2026 |
| Further work started (12 weeks at the latest) | Friday 22 January 2027 |
Around Christmas the bank holidays push these dates later: 25 and 28 December 2026 and 1 January 2027 are not working days in England.
What is proposed for private landlords
The power. Section 60 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 amends section 10A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, so that hazard regulations can cover private tenancies and licences. legislation.gov.uk marks it “prospective”: it is not in force. The commencement regulations made so far (SI 2026/421 and SI 2026/638) do not bring it in.
The consultation. On 9 October 2026 the government published Extending Awaab’s Law to private rented tenancies and to licences. It is open until 11.59pm on 18 December 2026. In summary it:
- proposes the same timescales as social housing: emergencies within 24 hours and investigation within 10 working days, with the 3-day written summary and 5-day safety work put forward as options;
- says “the earliest feasible implementation date would be 2027”;
- assumes, in its impact assessment, “3 phases in 2028, 2029 and 2030”.
The final rules, and the date private landlords must comply, will depend on the response to the consultation and on regulations that do not exist yet. Anyone who says Awaab’s Law already binds private landlords is wrong. So is anyone who says it never will.
What already applies to private landlords
Awaab’s Law adds deadlines; it does not create the underlying duty. Private landlords in England already have these.
Repairs: section 11, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
In most residential lettings, section 11 implies a covenant to keep in repair the structure and exterior, and the installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, space heating and hot water. Courts expect repairs within a reasonable time after you are told about the problem. “Reasonable” depends on how serious it is.
Fitness for human habitation: section 9A
Section 9A, inserted by the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 with effect from 20 March 2019, implies a covenant that the dwelling is fit for human habitation when the tenancy starts and stays fit during it. Damp and mould serious enough to affect health can make a home unfit. Tenants can enforce this covenant in court themselves; they do not need the council.
Council enforcement: Housing Act 2004, Part 1
Councils assess hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). They can serve improvement notices or prohibition orders, or take emergency action. Damp and mould growth is one of the HHSRS hazards. On 22 June 2026 the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 3) Regulations (SI 2026/638) brought in financial penalties for category 1 hazards. Councils can now fine rather than only serve notices.
A council improvement or prohibition order can also become a possession problem for you. Ground 6B lets a landlord seek possession to comply with enforcement action, but the court may order compensation to the tenant. See the Form 3A guide.
The Decent Homes Standard, from 2035
The government’s response of January 2026 confirms that the reformed Decent Homes Standard “will apply from 2035” to private as well as social rented homes. That is a long-run target, not a current duty.
A damp-and-mould routine that works either way
You do not need to wait for regulations to run your repairs as if the clock already applied. A simple log protects you in a dispute, before the council and in court:
- Record the report. Note the date and time, how it arrived (text, email, call), the room, and what the tenant described. Ask for photos.
- Classify it. Is there a risk of immediate harm, such as a gas smell, exposed wiring or no heating in winter with a vulnerable occupant? Treat it as an emergency and act the same day. Otherwise treat damp and mould as significant.
- Diary the targets. Use the Awaab’s Law timings as a benchmark: investigate within 10 working days, send a short written summary within 3 working days of that, and start safety work within 5.
- Investigate the cause, not just the stain. Check for leaks, failed seals, blocked gutters, broken extractor fans and missing trickle vents, as well as how the home is ventilated and heated.
- Write it down for the tenant. Say what you found, what you will do, and when.
- Close the loop. Record completion with dated photos, and check again after a few weeks.
The repairs log in Quarterday’s tracker does this. It labels each repair by type, works out the working-day targets with English bank holidays, and marks the Awaab timings clearly as a benchmark rather than law for private landlords. Open repairs also appear on your deadline list and in the calendar export.
What to watch for
- 18 December 2026: the private-sector consultation closes.
- 30 November 2026: phase 2 for social housing, if approved. It shows the shape the private-sector rules may take.
- 2027 or later: regulations for private landlords. We will update this page and the tracker labels when they are laid.
For your other recurring duties, from gas safety to the landlord database, see the landlord compliance checklist for 2026/27.