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Awaab Ishak was a two-year-old boy who died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his Rochdale Boroughwide Housing flat. His parents had reported the mould repeatedly. Nothing was done.
In response, Parliament amended the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, and the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 were laid before Parliament on 25 June 2025. They came into force on 27 October 2025 and inserted Section 10A into the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This is the law everyone calls Awaab's Law.
What the law requires
When a tenant reports a hazard, the landlord must first decide whether it is an emergency hazard or a significant hazard.
Emergency hazards
These are hazards that present a significant and imminent risk of harm.
| Action required | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Investigate the hazard and complete the safety work to make the home safe | Within 24 hours of becoming aware |
| Offer alternative accommodation if the home cannot be made safe in 24 hours | Within 24 hours |
Significant hazards
| Action required | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Investigate the hazard | Within 10 working days of being reported |
| Complete the relevant safety work to make the home safe | Within 5 working days of the investigation ending |
| Send the tenant a written summary of the findings | Within 3 working days of the investigation (this runs at the same time as the 5-day works window, not after it) |
| Offer alternative accommodation if the home cannot be made safe in time | As soon as it is clear it cannot be made safe in 5 working days |
If your landlord misses any of these deadlines, that is a breach of Section 10A LTA 1985. Tenants can hold the landlord to account directly in court for breach of contract, and the missed deadline strengthens any disrepair claim significantly.
Phased commencement
Awaab's Law is being phased in. The category of hazards in scope grows each year.
| Date | Hazards in scope |
|---|---|
| 27 October 2025 | Damp, mould, and any hazard meeting the emergency definition |
| 2026 | Adds excess cold, excess heat, fire safety, hygiene hazards (pests, waste), and structural collapse |
| 2027 | Adds every remaining hazard on the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) except overcrowding |
Hazards that are not yet in scope under Awaab's Law are still covered by Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, which require landlords to carry out repairs within a "reasonable time".
Which homes Awaab's Law covers
Covered:
- Council housing in England
- Housing association homes in England
- Council homes run by an ALMO (an arms-length company that manages homes for the council)
Not covered (yet):
- Wales, different regime, see Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016
- Private rented sector (PRS), not yet, though the Renters' Rights Act 2025 introduces analogous duties
What counts as a "hazard"
The government keeps an official list of 29 things that can make a home dangerous (its full name is the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, or HHSRS). The most common ones that trigger Awaab's Law:
- Damp and mould (the original Awaab Ishak hazard)
- Excess cold (broken heating in winter)
- Excess heat (rare but increasing)
- Carbon monoxide (faulty boiler / no CO alarm)
- Electrical hazards (sparking, exposed wiring)
- Structural collapse (subsidence, cracks)
What to do if your landlord missed a deadline
- Document every report you made, texts, emails, complaint reference numbers.
- Note the date of first report, this is when the statutory clock started running.
- Photograph the hazard with date-stamped phone camera.
- Ask in writing for the landlord's investigation outcome, since Section 10A requires a written summary of findings.
- Contact us free on 0800 030 4669, we'll assess your claim within one working day.
What you might recover
Tenants whose landlords have ignored Awaab's Law deadlines have recovered:
- Average compensation £5,000–£15,000 for general damages
- Damaged personal items (clothes, electronics, furniture)
- Medical evidence costs (doctor's letters, hospital records)
- The repair actually getting done
Plus court-ordered enforcement if the landlord still refuses.
You are not obligated
You don't have to use Support for Tenants. You can pursue your claim yourself or through any solicitor. We exist because most tenants do not have the time or legal knowledge to do it well, and a regulated solicitor with a panel behind them usually gets a better outcome than going it alone.