Awaab's Law at six months: what social tenants are telling us

Awaab's Law came into force on 27 October 2025. Six months later, we are hearing more from social tenants about how their landlords are actually responding, where things have improved, and where the most persistent problems remain.

What the law requires, briefly

Awaab's Law, introduced through the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, sets legally binding timescales for social landlords investigating and addressing damp, mould and other hazards. The core requirements:

• 24 hours to investigate and make safe an emergency hazard, one posing an immediate risk to health or safety
• 10 working days to investigate a significant hazard after it is reported
• 3 working days to provide a written summary of the findings
• 5 working days to complete the repair works after the investigation

These deadlines apply to councils and housing associations in England. They do not currently apply to private landlords.

Three things tenants are telling us

Some landlords are responding faster. A number of housing associations have noticeably improved their initial acknowledgement and inspection timescales since October. The 10-working-day investigation window is being taken more seriously. That is progress.

The investigation is not the same as the repair. The most common pattern we are hearing is this: an inspection happens within 10 working days, a report arrives, and then the 5-working-day window to complete the works is missed. The actual repair work is delayed for weeks or months. There is a tendency, deliberate or not, to treat completing the investigation as the end of the legal obligation, rather than the beginning.

Many tenants do not know the law applies to them. We regularly speak to social tenants who have been waiting months for repairs and have no idea Awaab's Law exists. The gap between the law as written and what tenants experience in day-to-day housing management remains significant.

What to do if your landlord is missing the deadlines

Keep a written record of the date you first reported the problem. That is when the Awaab's Law clock starts.

If 10 working days pass without an inspection, write to your landlord and state the date of your original report. If the investigation happens but repair work does not follow within a reasonable time, do the same. Follow the landlord's formal complaints procedure. If the complaint is not resolved, you can escalate to the Housing Ombudsman.

A copy of every letter and email, with dates, is essential evidence.

What about private tenants?

Awaab's Law does not cover private tenancies. Private tenants can still ask their council's environmental health team to inspect under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 applies to all rented homes regardless of who the landlord is.

There is increasing pressure on government to extend Awaab's Law-style deadlines to the private rented sector. That has not happened yet.

How we can help

If you are a social tenant and your landlord is not meeting the deadlines set by Awaab's Law, call 0800 030 4669 for free advice. We look at whether a housing disrepair claim is viable, at no cost to you.

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.

Support For Tenants is a trading name of Cyntex Group Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as a Claims Management Company. FRN 1020217. Registered in England and Wales.