Tenants must feel protected and safe in their homes, which is why Awaab’s law is crucial legislation, and I am pleased to announce that it is coming into force today for all emergency hazards and damp and mould hazards. These regulations represent a landmark step forward in ensuring that every resident of social housing lives in a safe, decent home, and that swift, responsible action is taken by landlords when hazards are identified.
The tragic death of Awaab Ishak, aged just two, in December 2020, due to prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s social home, shocked the nation. His parents, Faisal and Aisha, have shown extraordinary courage and determination in campaigning to ensure that no other family suffers such a preventable loss.
Early last year, the previous Government ran a consultation on Awaab’s law, publishing the Government response in June 2024. On 25 June 2025, regulations for phase 1 of Awaab’s law were laid in Parliament, and they are now in force. The regulations prescribe requirements that every social landlord in England must comply with. Failure to do so will constitute a breach of contract, and tenants will rightly be able to take legal action through the courts, or take action through the housing ombudsman, ensuring that tenants can hold landlords fully accountable if they fail to meet the required standards and timescales. These new requirements do not replace or lessen existing duties.
Social landlords already have clear legal obligations to keep homes fit for human habitation, free from category 1 hazards, and to remedy disrepair. Many landlords go beyond these obligations to provide their residents with a quality service. Awaab’s law strengthens these obligations by introducing clear, time-bound requirements and a robust route to enforcement.
From today all social landlords must:
Investigate emergency hazards and make them safe within 24 hours;
Investigate significant hazards, including damp and mould, within 10 working days;
Provide a written summary of findings to tenants within three working days of the investigation concluding;
Take action to make the home safe within five working days of the investigation concluding;
Begin further works to prevent recurrence within 12 weeks;
Complete repairs within a reasonable timeframe; and
Offer suitable alternative accommodation if the home cannot be made safe within the required timescales.
These measures mean that no tenant will have to live in unsafe conditions without a route to take action. Landlords must act swiftly to fix dangerous hazards and dangerous damp and mould. I am determined to extend these protections to all hazards and have committed to apply Awaab’s law to hazards such as excess cold and heat, falls, structural collapse, fire, electrical hazards, explosions and hygiene risks in 2026, and to all remaining hazards under the housing health and safety rating system in 2027. By taking a phased, test-and-learn approach, I am clear that transformational change will be delivered effectively, proportionately and sustainably across the sector—ensuring consistent application of the law and full preparedness to deliver these new duties.
Implementing Awaab’s law represents a significant change. To support this cultural shift in the way tenants and landlords will engage in tackling safety issues in their homes, the Department has published guidance to aid implementation. Tenant-facing materials will be made available through the “Make things right” campaign, explaining how Awaab’s law will protect tenants and how tenants can raise concerns. Additional guidance for tenants will be published explaining how tenants can use Awaab’s law, and the Government will continue to work closely with the regulator of social housing and the housing ombudsman to ensure clear, consistent implementation.
Awaab’s law is a critical part of the Government’s broader programme to raise the standard and safety of social housing and to strengthen tenants’ voices. While many landlords already provide good-quality homes and responsive services, too many tenants still live in homes that are unsafe or poorly maintained. This must change. As well as Awaab’s law, we have also introduced new regulations that mean social landlords must have the electrics in their homes inspected and tested at least every five years.
We have also launched a £1 million social housing innovation fund to fund innovative projects that improve tenants’ engagement with their landlords and ensure that they have influence over decisions affecting their homes.
Awaab’s law is not about creating unnecessary burden; it is about ensuring that tenants’ voices are heard, that action is taken responsibly, and that homes are safe and decent. It represents the change that social housing residents have long deserved and is central to restoring trust, fairness and accountability in the sector.
Delivering the transformational change that Awaab Ishak’s family fought for is essential—and every tenant has the right to expect nothing less.
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