Awaab's Law: what it means for you as a tenant
Your landlord now has legal deadlines to investigate and fix dangerous conditions in your home. Here is what those deadlines are, and what you can do when they are missed.
The short version
- Who it covers
- Council and housing association tenants in England. Not private renters.
- In force since
- 27 October 2025, for emergencies and for damp and mould.
- Expanding on
- 30 November 2026, to cover cold, heat, fire, electrical, falls and hygiene hazards.
- Emergency deadline
- Investigate and make safe within 24 hours.
- Significant hazard deadline
- Investigate within 10 working days. Safety work within 5 working days of the investigation finishing.
Awaab Ishak was two years old when he died in December 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in the flat his family rented from a housing association in Rochdale. His parents had reported the mould repeatedly. The law that carries his name is the response to that.
What Awaab's Law actually does is narrow. It does not create a new right to compensation and it does not give you a new type of court claim. What it does is put specific, countable deadlines into social tenancy agreements, so that "we'll get to it" stops being an acceptable answer. That is genuinely useful, but only if you know what the deadlines are and what to do when your landlord misses one.
Awaab's Law is not an emergency service. If there is a gas leak, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. If there is a fire risk, call 999. If a child or vulnerable adult is seriously unwell because of conditions in the home, contact your GP or NHS 111.
The deadlines, in plain English
There are two speeds, depending on how serious the hazard is. Working days means Monday to Friday, not counting bank holidays.
| What your landlord must do | Emergency hazard | Significant hazard |
|---|---|---|
| Investigate the problem | Within 24 hours | Within 10 working days |
| Tell you in writing what they found | Covered by the 24-hour duty | Within 3 working days of finishing the investigation |
| Do the work to make it safe | Within 24 hours | Within 5 working days of finishing the investigation |
| Do any further preventative work | As soon as reasonably practicable | Start within 5 working days, finish within 12 weeks |
The clock starts when your landlord becomes aware of the hazard. That is why reporting it in a way that creates a written record matters so much. A phone call that nobody logs is very hard to argue about six months later.
What is covered, and when
The law is being switched on in stages. Right now it covers a narrower set of problems than most people assume.
- Now (since 27 October 2025): all emergency hazards, plus damp and mould where it presents a significant risk of harm.
- From 30 November 2026: excess cold, excess heat, falls (on the level, on stairs, between levels and associated with baths), structural collapse, fire, explosions, electrical hazards, and domestic and personal hygiene and food safety hazards.
- From 2027: all remaining hazards under the official hazard rating system, apart from overcrowding.
If your problem is not on the current list, that does not mean your landlord can ignore it. Their older repairing duties under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 still apply, and so does their own complaints policy. Awaab's Law adds a deadline. It does not replace anything.
Guides in this section
Phase 2: what changes on 30 November 2026
The seven hazard types being added, the exact date, and what it means for your home.
The timescales explained
How the 24-hour, 10-day and 5-day clocks work, and when they start.
Does it apply to private landlords?
The short answer is no. Here is what covers you instead if you rent privately.
Does it apply in Scotland?
No, it is England only. Scotland has a separate and in some ways stronger system.
How to report a hazard so the clock starts
A template and the three things to include so your report cannot be disputed later.
When your landlord misses the deadline
The free complaints route, in order, and roughly how long each stage takes.
Common questions
Does Awaab’s Law apply to me?
It applies if you rent your home from a council or a housing association in England, under a tenancy. It does not apply if you rent privately, if you own your home, if you are a shared owner, or if you live under a licence rather than a tenancy. It does not apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
What counts as an emergency hazard?
A hazard that presents an imminent and significant risk of harm. Your landlord must investigate and make it safe within 24 hours of finding out about it. Examples given in the government guidance include things like a total loss of water supply, a gas leak, or exposed live electrics.
My landlord missed the deadline. What happens?
Nothing happens automatically. Awaab’s Law works by putting the timescales into your tenancy agreement, so missing them is a breach of your tenancy that you can enforce. In practice the first step is a formal complaint to your landlord, then the Housing Ombudsman. Court action is a last resort, not a first one.
Do I have to pay anyone to use Awaab’s Law?
No. Complaining to your landlord is free. The Housing Ombudsman is free. You do not need a solicitor or a claims company to ask your landlord to meet the timescales, and you should be wary of anyone who contacts you out of the blue offering to do it for you.