Awaab's Law: the first months, and what the one-year mark will test

Awaab's Law came into force on 27 October 2025. We are now several months in, with the one-year mark due in October 2026. This is an honest look at what the early months suggest for tenants and what the year ahead will really test. It is not a verdict, the first full year of data is not in yet.

What the law is meant to change

Before Awaab's Law, the timescale for repairs in social housing was a vague "reasonable time" that landlords interpreted for themselves. The law replaced that, for damp, mould, and emergency hazards, with fixed legal deadlines and a written paper trail. For tenants, the two biggest practical changes are:

• A clock that starts when you report in writing. A missed deadline is now a named, statutory breach, not a general "they took too long".
• A written summary of findings. The landlord has to put its findings to you in writing, so you are no longer relying on remembering what a contractor said at the door.

Where the pressure points are

From what we see in cases and from the sector's own commentary, the hardest parts to deliver are the same ones the government's guidance warned about:

• The 24-hour emergency category. Getting an emergency hazard made safe within 24 hours, not just attended, is the deadline most under strain, because out-of-hours contractor cover is limited.
• Completing the works. Getting an inspector out within 10 working days is one thing. Completing the safety work within 5 working days of that investigation ending is another, and it is often where things slip.
• Smaller landlords catching up. The largest landlords have invested most in getting ready. Some smaller council and housing-association teams have moved more slowly.

What the rules actually require

The deadlines, exactly, once you report a hazard in writing:

1. Emergency hazard: the landlord must investigate and make the home safe within 24 hours, and offer somewhere else to stay if it cannot be made safe in time.
2. Significant hazard: investigate within 10 working days.
3. Complete the safety work within 5 working days of that investigation ending.
4. Send you a written summary of the findings within 3 working days of the investigation (this runs at the same time as the works window).

A landlord that misses any of these has a named breach you can act on.

What the one-year mark and the year ahead will test

• Phase 2, from October 2026. The deadlines extend to more hazards, including excess cold, excess heat, fire safety, electrical dangers, and structural problems. See Awaab's Law Phase 2.
• The private rented sector. The government intends to extend an Awaab's Law-style framework to private renting through the Renters' Rights Act 2025, on a timetable still to be confirmed. See Awaab's Law: private sector extension.
• Whether completion catches up with investigation. The real test of the first year is not how fast landlords inspect, but how fast they actually finish the repair.

What to do if you are still stuck

The advice has not changed, it has just become more enforceable:

1. Report in writing, portal or email, never just a phone call.
2. Say you regard the problem as a hazard under Awaab's Law.
3. Flag vulnerability immediately (children, older people, a health condition).
4. Use the formal complaints process, Stage 1, then Stage 2.
5. Get advice on a claim quickly if any deadline is missed. You may have a claim, call us free on 0800 030 4669.

Get help

If your social landlord has missed an Awaab's Law deadline, call Support for Tenants on 0800 030 4669 for a free assessment, send the short form, or message us on WhatsApp. We are a regulated company, not a law firm, we connect tenants with solicitors who run housing disrepair cases on a no-win-no-fee basis.

Sources: Awaab's Law: guidance for social landlords, GOV.UK.

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