Awaab's Law: what the regulation actually says

Awaab's Law — named after Awaab Ishak, the two-year-old who died of mould exposure in social housing — sets statutory deadlines on hazard remediation for English landlords. It started life in the social housing sector and the Renters' Rights Act 2025 extends substantially equivalent obligations to the private rented sector. This post explains what the regulation actually says.

The three clocks

Every hazard report triggers three deadlines, running concurrently from the moment the tenant reports the issue:

14 days to investigate. The landlord must inspect, assess, and document the hazard.
7 days from the conclusion of investigation to remedy. Repair, abatement, or interim measures must be in place.
24 hours for emergencies. If the hazard poses an imminent risk to health or life — severe damp in a bedroom, electrical fault near water, structural defect — the timeline collapses to within a single day.

What counts as a hazard

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) lists 29 categories of hazard: damp and mould, excess cold, excess heat, asbestos, lead, carbon monoxide, structural collapse, electrical hazards, fire, falls on level surfaces, falls on stairs, food safety, personal hygiene, and others. A Category 1 hazard (the most serious) is what most operators encounter as the trigger for Awaab's Law clocks.

What "investigate" actually means

The investigation must be documented. A phone call to the tenant isn't enough; a visual inspection alone may not be enough for damp or mould (you may need surveys for moisture levels). The investigation outcome — what was found, what's required to remedy — must be recorded with date, time, and inspector identity. This is the foundation of the audit trail.

What "remedy" actually means

Remedy means putting the hazard right OR putting interim measures in place that protect the tenant's health while permanent works are scheduled. Boarding up a leak, ventilating a damp room, providing a dehumidifier — these are valid interim remedies that stop the 7-day clock for "remedy" purposes (though the permanent repair clock continues).

The penalty regime

Awaab's Law breaches feed into the broader regulatory enforcement framework. For RSLs the Regulator of Social Housing can impose consumer-standard breaches; for the PRS the local authority enforces under the Housing Act 2004 (as amended). Civil penalties can reach £40,000 per breach under the PRS regime. Worse, persistent breaches inform banning-order applications.

The records the operator needs

An audit-grade Awaab's Law response trail captures:

The intake: when the tenant reported the hazard, in what channel, with what description.
The acknowledgement: when the operator confirmed receipt and committed to a timeline.
The investigation: who inspected, when, what they found, with photos.
The decision: what remedy is being applied, with what interim measures.
The execution: when the work was done, by whom, with completion photos.
The follow-up: did the remedy actually work? Did the tenant confirm?

That trail is the difference between "we responded appropriately" and "we have no idea what happened" when the regulator asks.

Source documents

Awaab's Law commenced for the social housing sector via the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. The PRS extension lands via the Renters' Rights Act 2025 commencing 1 May 2026. Detailed timelines are set by statutory instrument and the Department for Housing's guidance.