Awaab's Law
Quick answer
Statutory timescales for investigating and remedying hazards such as damp and mould, named after Awaab Ishak. In force for social landlords since 27 October 2025. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 gives the power to extend it to the private rented sector, but the PRS regulations have not been made — that is Phase 3 of the Government’s rollout, so no Awaab’s Law deadline binds a private landlord today.
At a glance
- Named after
- Awaab Ishak
- Applies to
- Social landlords (PRS extension not yet in force)
- Core duty
- Strict timescales to investigate + remedy hazards (social sector)
- Enforcement
- Regulator of Social Housing + Housing Ombudsman
Full guide
Read the complete landlord guide on Awaab's Law
Deadlines, fines and step-by-step compliance in our in-depth resource.
Open full guideWhy Awaab's Law matters for landlords
Awaab’s Law was written for social housing after the preventable death of Awaab Ishak from mould exposure, and has bound social landlords since 27 October 2025. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 carries the power to extend the timescale-based duties to the private rented sector, but the regulations that would do it have not been made, so no Awaab investigation or repair window runs on a private tenancy today. That is not permission to let a damp-and-mould complaint sit in a landlord’s inbox for weeks. Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and HHSRS already bite, and a council can already serve an Improvement Notice, so a slow response is not just a reputational risk — and the paper trail of when a tenant reported the hazard is already legally decisive. That is why it is worth running the clock before the law makes you.
Worked example
A tenant in a converted Edwardian flat in Manchester reports black mould in the bathroom on 3 March 2026 and emails photos. Awaab’s Law does not bind a private landlord yet, so there is no statutory clock on this report — but Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 does bind them, and mould of this kind is an HHSRS hazard the council can act on regardless. They miss the email for 17 days because it was filtered as spam. The tenant complains to the council, which serves an Improvement Notice; the landlord ends up paying for emergency mould treatment, redecoration and £1,400 statutory compensation — and the council retains an open enforcement file that flags every future possession claim.
Illustrative scenario based on real UK landlord casework patterns. Names and addresses are fictitious.
Common Awaab's Law mistakes UK landlords make
- Treating an email or SMS report as informal — the statutory clock starts the moment the tenant first communicates the hazard, regardless of channel.
- Sending a contractor without a written acknowledgement to the tenant; the documented response is what stops the timeline penalty, not the visit itself.
- Failing to log when the report came in, so the landlord cannot prove they responded within the statutory window if challenged.
- Assuming Awaab’s Law only covers mould — it covers any HHSRS Category 1 hazard, including excess cold and dangerous wiring.
What to do this week
- Set up a single dated inbox or log for hazard reports so any tenant complaint is timestamped on receipt.
- Draft a one-page written response template that acknowledges the report, outlines the investigation step and gives a target remedy date.
- Diary a 14-day investigation deadline and a remedy-plan deadline for every hazard report this week.
- Audit your last 12 months of repair tickets to identify any unresolved damp, mould or Category 1 risk that would now fail the timetable.
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Official sources
LetCompliance editorial reviews this entry every quarter against the sources above. Always confirm specific duties with a qualified solicitor or your local council.
Related terms
Accelerated Possession
A fast-track court procedure used under a Section 21 notice in England and Wales. Abolished for new claims from 1 May 2026 because Section 21 no longer exists. Possession is now pursued under Section 8 using a specified ground.
Accidental Landlord
Someone who ends up letting a property without having planned to be a landlord — for example after inheriting a home, moving in with a partner, struggling to sell, or being relocated for work. Accidental landlords have exactly the same legal duties as professional ones, which is where problems usually start.
Additional Licensing
A discretionary HMO licensing scheme a council can introduce under section 56 of the Housing Act 2004 to cover smaller HMOs that fall below the mandatory threshold of five or more occupants in two or more households. (The old three-storey condition was removed on 1 October 2018 — mandatory licensing now applies regardless of how many storeys the property has.) It is separate from selective licensing (which covers all rented homes in a designated area, not just HMOs). Operating an unlicensed HMO where additional licensing applies is a criminal offence with civil penalties up to £30,000 and exposure to a Rent Repayment Order of up to 24 months’ rent.
Allowable Expenses
The day-to-day running costs a landlord can deduct from rental income before tax. They must be wholly and exclusively for the letting — letting agent fees, repairs and maintenance (not improvements), landlord insurance, ground rent and service charges, accountancy, and utility or council tax you pay. Mortgage interest is handled separately as a 20% tax credit under Section 24, not as an expense.
Arrears (Rent Arrears)
Unpaid rent that is past its due date. Ground 8 of Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988 (mandatory) requires at least 3 months of rent arrears under the Renters Rights Act 2025 (previously 2 months). Grounds 10 and 11 remain as discretionary grounds.
Article 4 Direction
A planning tool councils use under article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 to remove permitted-development rights, most commonly the right to convert a single-family home (Use Class C3) into a small HMO (Use Class C4) without planning permission. In an Article 4 area, every C3 → C4 conversion needs a full planning application, and operating without it can trigger an enforcement notice, a planning contravention notice or a refusal of HMO licence.