Does Awaab's Law apply to private tenants?

Awaab's Law is one of the most talked-about changes to renter protections in recent years. If you rent privately and your home has damp or mould, you may have seen references to it and wondered whether it applies to you. The honest answer is: not yet, but you still have legal rights, and they are stronger than many tenants realise.

The short answer

Awaab's Law currently applies only to social housing, councils and housing associations. It does not apply to private landlords. However, private tenants have separate legal protections that achieve similar outcomes, and there is growing pressure to extend Awaab's Law to the private rented sector.

Key facts

• Official guidance from the UK Health Security Agency and the Department of Health and Social Care links damp and mould in homes in England to around 5,000 cases of asthma and 8,500 lower respiratory infections among children and adults. Health risks of damp and mould, GOV.UK
• The 2024 to 2025 English Housing Survey found about 5% of homes in England, around 1.4 million, had a problem with damp, most common in privately rented homes (10%). English Housing Survey 2024-25, GOV.UK

What Awaab's Law actually does

Awaab's Law, introduced through the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, requires social landlords to investigate a significant damp and mould hazard within 10 working days, send a written summary within 3 working days of the investigation, and begin repair works within 5 working days (with a 12-week backstop for larger jobs). An emergency hazard must be made safe within 24 hours.

These are legally binding obligations. A social landlord who misses the deadlines is in breach of their statutory duties.

Why it does not cover private tenants (yet)

When the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 was passed, it deliberately applied only to the social housing sector. The legislation focused on the failures identified after Awaab Ishak's death in a Rochdale Boroughwide Housing property.

There is active lobbying and parliamentary work to extend Awaab's Law-style obligations to private landlords. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 moved in this direction by extending the Decent Homes Standard to private rentals, but it did not create the same specific timed obligations that Awaab's Law gives to social tenants.

What private tenants can use instead

If you rent privately and your landlord is not dealing with damp or mould, these routes are available to you now.

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018: This law applies to all rented homes, social and private. It requires your home to be fit to live in throughout the tenancy. You can take your landlord to court directly under this Act without needing to go through the council first.

Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985: Your landlord must keep the structure, exterior, and services of your home in good repair. Damp caused by structural defects, a leaking roof, failing walls, defective windows, is covered.

Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS): Your council's environmental health team can inspect your property and issue an improvement notice requiring your landlord to carry out repairs within a set timeframe. Damp and mould are among the most commonly cited Category 1 hazards.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025: The Section 21 no-fault eviction ban means you can now report damp and mould to environmental health without fear of a retaliatory eviction.

What to do now

Report the damp or mould to your landlord in writing today. If they do not respond within a reasonable time, 14 to 28 days depending on severity, contact your council's environmental health team and request an inspection. You can also contact us to find out whether a housing disrepair claim is viable.

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

If you rent privately and your landlord is not dealing with damp, mould or other disrepair, call us on 0800 030 4669.

No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.

Sources

• Awaab's Law: guidance for social landlords (GOV.UK)
• Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Section 11 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (legislation.gov.uk)

Related articles

• What is Awaab's Law in plain English?
• What is the Fitness for Human Habitation Act?
• How to request an HHSRS inspection