HANSARDCommons13 Jul 20261 contribution

Housing, Communities and Local Government

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Social Housing: Awaab’s Law

The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)
LabourGreenwich and Woolwich
Every social housing tenant has the right to live in a safe and decent home, receive services that meet their needs, and have their complaints promptly addressed. Yet far too many still live in social homes that are not well maintained or managed and struggle to secure adequate redress. That is why the Government are acting to drive a transformational and lasting change in the safety and quality of social housing.
Awaab Ishak was just two years old when he died in December 2020 as a result of a severe respiratory condition due to prolonged exposure to mould in the social home his family rented from Rochdale Boroughwide Housing. Awaab’s death was wholly avoidable. His parents raised concerns about their living conditions time and time again, but their landlord failed to take any action to treat the dangerous mould present in their home.
In the wake of his untimely death, Awaab’s parents, Faisal Abdullah and Aisha Amin, tenaciously and courageously fought to secure justice, not only for their son but for all of those who live in social housing. I pay tribute to them once again for their passion and persistence.
In response to their campaign, new powers were introduced through the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 enabling a new legal duty to be placed on social landlords to investigate and address serious hazards within clear and enforceable timeframes.
Awaab’s law is vital legislation that empowers social tenants to hold their landlords to account using the full force of the law if they fail to investigate and fix hazards within their homes within set timescales. It also allows tenants to access the Housing Ombudsman if their landlord does not adhere to strict timelines for action.
While progress is also dependent on a more fundamental change in the culture and values of social housing providers, Awaab’s law will play an integral role in ensuring that all social landlords take complaints about hazards seriously, respond to them in a timely and professional manner, and treat tenants with empathy, dignity and respect. It is also the Government’s sincere hope that, over time, it will build trust between landlords and tenants.
Per the written ministerial statement made on 6 February 2025 (HCWS423) the Government are implementing Awaab’s law through a phased approach to ensure this landmark reform will be effective, proportionate and of lasting benefit to social housing tenants.
Phase 1, which came into force on 27 October 2025, introduced a requirement for landlords to respond to damp and mould hazards that pose a significant risk to health within set timescales, alongside a requirement to respond to all types of emergency hazard within 24 hours.
As promised, we have taken a “test and learn” approach to implementing this policy. Working closely with social landlords, tenants, regulators and representative bodies, we have closely monitored and evaluated the impact Awaab’s law is having in practice and the effectiveness of the processes put in place to implement it. This has provided invaluable early insights into the operation of the requirements and has enabled us to refine the policy to ensure that it is proportionate, effective and deliverable.

Social Housing: Awaab’s Law

The Minister for Housing and Planning (Matthew Pennycook)

Every social housing tenant has the right to live in a safe and decent home, receive services that meet their needs, and have their complaints promptly addressed. Yet far too many still live in social homes that are not well maintained or managed and struggle to secure adequate redress. That is why the Government are acting to drive a transformational and lasting change in the safety and quality of social housing.

Awaab Ishak was just two years old when he died in December 2020 as a result of a severe respiratory condition due to prolonged exposure to mould in the social home his family rented from Rochdale Boroughwide Housing. Awaab’s death was wholly avoidable. His parents raised concerns about their living conditions time and time again, but their landlord failed to take any action to treat the dangerous mould present in their home.

In the wake of his untimely death, Awaab’s parents, Faisal Abdullah and Aisha Amin, tenaciously and courageously fought to secure justice, not only for their son but for all of those who live in social housing. I pay tribute to them once again for their passion and persistence.

In response to their campaign, new powers were introduced through the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 enabling a new legal duty to be placed on social landlords to investigate and address serious hazards within clear and enforceable timeframes.

Awaab’s law is vital legislation that empowers social tenants to hold their landlords to account using the full force of the law if they fail to investigate and fix hazards within their homes within set timescales. It also allows tenants to access the Housing Ombudsman if their landlord does not adhere to strict timelines for action.

While progress is also dependent on a more fundamental change in the culture and values of social housing providers, Awaab’s law will play an integral role in ensuring that all social landlords take complaints about hazards seriously, respond to them in a timely and professional manner, and treat tenants with empathy, dignity and respect. It is also the Government’s sincere hope that, over time, it will build trust between landlords and tenants.

Per the written ministerial statement made on 6 February 2025 (HCWS423) the Government are implementing Awaab’s law through a phased approach to ensure this landmark reform will be effective, proportionate and of lasting benefit to social housing tenants.

Phase 1, which came into force on 27 October 2025, introduced a requirement for landlords to respond to damp and mould hazards that pose a significant risk to health within set timescales, alongside a requirement to respond to all types of emergency hazard within 24 hours.

As promised, we have taken a “test and learn” approach to implementing this policy. Working closely with social landlords, tenants, regulators and representative bodies, we have closely monitored and evaluated the impact Awaab’s law is having in practice and the effectiveness of the processes put in place to implement it. This has provided invaluable early insights into the operation of the requirements and has enabled us to refine the policy to ensure that it is proportionate, effective and deliverable.