Millions of social housing tenants across the country are set to benefit from safer homes from today as the first phase of Awaab’s Law comes into effect.

Under the legislation, social landlords will be required to take urgent action to fix emergency health and safety hazards within 24 hours of reporting. They must also investigate significant damp and mould within 10 working days of being notified and then make properties safe in five working days.

For both types of hazards, they must also write to tenants with their findings within three working days of inspection.

As part of the reforms, landlords must also consider the circumstances of tenants which could put them at risk – including young children and those with disabilities or health conditions. Alternative accommodation must also be offered if homes cannot be made safe within the required timeframes.

Those who fail to comply with the rules face being taken to court, where they could be issued enforcement orders, forced to pay compensation and legal costs – as well as loss of rent if homes were uninhabitable.

Awaab’s Law is a lasting legacy to two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who tragically died after being exposed to mould at his Rochdale home in December 2020. In the wake of this tragedy, Awaab’s family has fought to secure justice, not only for their son but for all those who live in social housing.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: “Everyone deserves a safe and decent home to live in and Awaab Ishak is a powerful reminder of how this can sadly be a matter of life or death.

“Awaab’s family has fought hard for change and their work to protect millions of tenants’ lives will live on as a legacy to their son.

“Our changes will give tenants a stronger voice and force landlords to act urgently when lives are at risk, ensuring such tragedies are never repeated.”

Meanwhile, a new £1 million fund has been launched by the government today to create new ways of helping tenants engage with their landlords and have more influence over decisions that affect them.

Up to £100,000 will be granted to successful bidders who propose strong ideas for improving communication between landlords and tenants and help tenants have more of a say in how their homes are managed.

Examples of innovative ideas could include online platforms, marketing campaigns or recruiting specialist personnel who can support tenants to improve their experiences in social housing.

This will help replace the outdated, inefficient ways of communicating that leave tenants feeling unheard and waiting too long to get issues resolved by their landlord.

Awaab’s Law – next steps: 

• Phase two of Awaab’s Law next year will expand tenant protections to cover more hazards like excess cold and heat, fire and electrical risks and hygiene hazards – and phase 3 in 2027 will extend it to all remaining hazards covered by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, except overcrowding
• The government has also committed to extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector to ensure all renters in England are empowered to challenge dangerous conditions. This will be made law through the Renters’ Rights Bill which completed its passage through Parliament on 22 October
• Landlord failure to comply with Awaab’s Law could result in legal action, empowering tenants to hold landlords accountable for unsafe living conditions. New guidance on gov.uk from Monday 27 October will help tenants understand and implement their new rights under Awaab’s Law
•  A refreshed guidance for landlords on Awaab’s Law is now also available on gov.uk, to help them understand their new legal duties: Awaab’s Law: Guidance for social landlords – Timeframes for repairs in the social rented sector – GOV.UK
• The Make Things Right campaign helps social housing tenants understand their rights and escalate when they have an issue with their home or landlord. The campaign will now feature new information on Awaab’s Law to reach social housing residents and ensure they understand their landlord’s new legal duties to them
• Awaab’s Law forms part of wider social housing reforms introduced through the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, which aims to rebalance the relationship between tenants and landlords and improve housing standards in England
• New regulations ensuring all landlords meet robust standards of electrical safety will also come into force on 1 November 2025 for new tenancies and then in 2026 for all existing tenancies
• To help tenants feel safe in their homes, these new laws will require social landlords to carry out electrical safety checks at least every five years, as well as mandatory appliance inspections on all electrical appliances that are provided by the landlord
• The electrical safety regulations also increase the maximum fine for non-compliance – for all landlords, private and social – from £30k to £40k.