More families living in poor conditions will be protected by stricter laws that legally require their landlords to fix dangerous issues like severe damp and mould to faster deadlines, the government says.

Though landlords must already act on hazards if they are found to be significant and seriously threaten tenants’ health and safety, the government introduced Awaab’s Law to social housing last year, setting legal deadlines for to fix dangerous damp and mould.

Now a government consultation will look at how it is introduced for private renters and what types of other accommodation should benefit in future, such as:

• Temporary accommodation for homeless people and families
• Accommodation for young people leaving care
• Supported housing where many elderly, disabled and other vulnerable people live.

According to the government, extending Awaab’s Law to these additional types of housing could more than double the number of households protected by new timescales for repairs – from 4 million to around 9 million homes.

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said: “Irrespective of tenure, all renters have the right to live in a safe and decent home and have complaints responded to in a timely manner.

“Awaab’s Law is already helping to drive up standards in the social housing sector. We’re now moving to extend it to private landlords so that England’s 11 million private renters can enjoy the same protections.”

Bringing Awaab’s Law to millions more people are commitments in the Renters’ Rights Act and the National Plan to End Homelessness. The government says the changes will help provide the decent, safe and secure homes that people need to get on in life, ensuring repairs for the most dangerous conditions are never compromised.

Around one in 10 private rented homes have a hazard at the most serious level (category 1), which already requires landlords to act. Landlords renting out homes with the worst conditions already risk enforcement action. The Renters’ Rights Act recently introduced fines of up to £7,000 if these serious dangers are found. Awaab’s Law will go even further by forcing quick action on them.

The consultation closing on 18 December 2026 will help inform how Awaab’s Law is implemented in the private rented sector, including the timescale for these new protections to come into force.

Significant changes brought in by the Renters’ Rights Act this year already empower private tenants to raise issues without fearing repercussions, like eviction for no reason which is now illegal or above-market rent increases which can now be challenged in court.

Holly Williamson, Chief Executive of Generation Rent, said:  “Homes are the foundations of our lives. But too many renters live in homes that are harmful to our health and often wait months for landlords to act on issues. We’re pleased to see the government moving forward with bringing in Awaab’s Law. It must be put in action as soon as possible to make sure every renter can live in a good quality home.”

Francesca Albanese, Director of Policy & Social Change at Crisis, said: “With millions of people renting privately across England, it’s crucial that tenants have a safe place to call home and that hazards like damp and mould are dealt with quickly.

“We support the UK Government moving forward with stricter laws to clamp down on poor conditions in the private rented sector, and that ministers are considering applying stricter standards to other forms of accommodation. At Crisis, we directly support people who are homeless and are being forced to live in unsuitable temporary accommodation, like hostels and B&Bs, which can often be damp, mouldy and harmful to their health. We therefore welcome action to improve housing standards for everyone, including those having to live in temporary accommodation while they wait for a more settled home.”

Abena Oppong-Asare MP, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee said: “Conditions in parts of the private rented sector are utterly appalling and expose people to harms that threaten their health: faulty electrics, broken windows and tiles, pests and freezing cold homes with damp and mould so extensive it has spread not only the walls but on people’s clothes, bedding and furniture. Landlords already have a duty to keep their homes free from serious hazards, yet this does not always happen, and overstretched councils struggle to enforce standards.

“We are delighted the government has begun to consult on extending Awaab’s Law beyond social housing. However, we urge the government to phase-in these new protections at pace. Landlords will need time to adapt. Smaller landlords, with one or two properties, already struggle to access skilled tradespeople, especially in more rural areas.

“Once introduced, these new regulations will greatly strengthen the protections available to private renters, homeless families, care leavers and those in supported housing who find themselves exposed to hazards in their home. Ahead of Awaab’s Law coming into force, the government needs to strengthen the protections that already exist. Far too many councils are failing to adequately protect tenants and provide a meaningful deterrent against rogue landlords prepared to exploit them.”

Clara Collingwood, Director of the Renters’ Reform Coalition, said: “A home should be a place of safety, and nobody in the UK should have to live in a home that is making them ill or putting their lives at risk, regardless of whether they rent their home from the council or from private landlords. We welcome the government’s consultation, and hope that the public responds with urgency – every additional day in which a child like Awaab Ishak’s life continues to be at risk should weigh heavily on us.”

Morgan Vine, Director of Policy and Influencing at Independent Age, said: “We welcome this consultation on extending Awaab’s Law to better protect private renters and improve the safety of their homes, and are pleased there is an opportunity for the voices of the people affected to be heard. Some of the older renters we speak to have rats in their floors and mould on their walls but are too scared of the repercussions to ask their landlord to make repairs. Renters of all ages, including those in later life, deserve a home that is safe and suitable.

“Almost all (96%) of the older renters we polled supported Awaab’s law. Now, it must be implemented in a way that works for, and takes into account, the needs of all tenants. If change is put in place effectively, all renters will be empowered to request fixes to their homes, and we will be able to build a rented sector that works well for everybody.”

Anela Anwar, CEO of Become, the national charity for children in care and young care leavers, said: “We know that too many young people leaving care have experienced unsuitable and, at times, unsafe accommodation, including homes affected by disrepair and mould.

“We welcome the government’s exploration of options to improve the quality of accommodation available to care leavers, helping to ensure young people have the safe, stable foundation they need as they move into adulthood.”