24
hours
Emergency hazards
Investigate and make safe within 24 hours of becoming aware.
Compliance, in plain English
Awaab's Law.
The moment anyone in your organisation learns about damp or mould in a home, a legal clock starts. Awaab's Law sets the deadlines. It applies to social landlords in England, and it has been in force since 27 October 2025. The law itself is Section 42 of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, and the official sources for this page are in our source library.
The 60-second answer
- Investigate emergency hazards and make them safe.24hrs
- Investigate significant hazards, including damp and mould.10working days
- Send written findings to the resident.3working days
- Complete the safety work.5working days
Can't finish the work in time? The landlord pays for suitable alternative accommodation until it's done.
The statute
How the law fits together.
Three pieces of legislation are involved, and the deadlines sit in the third.
01
The Act
Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023
Section 42 is what everyone calls Awaab's Law. It doesn't spell out the deadlines itself - it creates the power to set them.
02
The promise
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
Section 42 inserts new Sections 10A and 10B: a built-in promise in every social tenancy that the landlord will meet all the rules the government sets for dealing with hazards. (The law calls these the "prescribed requirements" - they are the deadlines on this page.)
03
The clock
The 2025 Regulations
The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 - in force 27 October 2025 - set the actual deadlines.
Awaab Ishak was a two-year-old who died in December 2020 of a severe respiratory condition caused by prolonged mould exposure in his family's flat. The coroner's inquest concluded in November 2022, and the government announced the law that carries his name in February 2023.
Who is in scope today.
In force now
All social landlords in England.
Registered providers, housing associations, council landlords, and ALMOs (the arm's-length companies some councils use to run their homes) - for almost every social tenancy. If you manage social housing in England, the clock is already running.
Next: date not yet set
Private landlords are next.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 extends Awaab's Law to the private rented sector. The commencement date is still subject to consultation - but the NRLA is already telling private landlords to prepare.
The clock
The four deadlines.
The clock starts when you find out - a tenant phone call, a housing officer's note, a contractor's photo all count. It does not wait for you to log a case or book an inspection. The emergency deadline runs in hours and the other three in working days, as set out in the official government guidance.
10
working days
Significant hazards
Investigate within 10 working days of becoming aware. Damp and mould that isn't an emergency sits here.
3
working days
Written summary
To the resident within 3 working days of the investigation concluding.
5
working days
Relevant safety work
Finish the repairs the investigation says are needed, within 5 working days - or pay for somewhere else for the resident to stay until it is done.
Enforcement
Who holds you to it.
Three parties can act on a missed deadline, and all three routes are open now.
01
The Regulator of Social Housing
Enforces the Safety and Quality Standard - the rule that social homes must be safe and well kept, in force since 1 April 2024. The Regulator aims to inspect landlords with 1,000 or more social homes at least once every four years.
02
The Housing Ombudsman
Handles resident complaints under a statutory code. In 2024-25 it issued 7,082 determinations - over 40% of compensation ordered was for leaks, damp and mould, and the largest single order was around £32,000.
03
The resident themselves
Can take the landlord to court directly. Awaab's Law adds a promise to every social tenancy that the landlord will meet the government's rules for dealing with hazards. If the landlord breaks it, the resident can bring a claim, as they could for any other repair the landlord owes. The landlord's defence is showing it used 'all reasonable endeavours' to comply.
Frequently asked
Common questions about Awaab's Law.
The primary sources behind these answers are in the source library.
MouldWatch turns Awaab's Law into a workflow.
Sensors catch risk weeks before mould is visible. Each alert arrives with the legal deadline already counting. Field teams finish the job. Every step is time-stamped, so you can prove what you did and when.