Awaab’s Law, introduced through the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, is set to come into force on October 27 2025. On June 25 2025, the government published draft guidance for social landlords outlining their statutory responsibilities. This article summarises the key points of the draft guidance, focusing specifically on the legal obligations concerning mould within social housing.
An important note: this article is based on the draft guidance and is therefore subject to change before it is enacted into law. There are other environmental factors included in the legislation, but in this article, we will focus on the law relating to mould within a social housing property.
Watch our video on Awaab’s Law Below:
The legislation called ‘Awaab’s Law’ is named in memory of Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who tragically lost his life due to prolonged mould exposure. The Ishak family was living in social housing and had made numerous complaints to their landlord about the mould, but the landlord failed to take timely action.
Awaab’s Law aims to hold social housing landlords responsible for addressing mould and other health hazards within specified timelines. This initiative aims to enhance the welfare of residents and contribute to the prevention of future health issues.
Living with mould poses numerous health risks; it can affect the airways and lungs, but it can also impact the eyes and skin. The respiratory effects of mould can cause serious illness and, in severe cases, can lead to death. The impact of living with mould can be further exacerbated for individuals with certain health conditions, in children, or older adults.
The Awaab’s Law legislation is coming into effect on October 27 2025. This new legislation will initially only impact the social housing sector; however, Awaab’s law is also mentioned in the ‘Renters’ Rights Bill’, so it is also expected to hit the private rental sector when/if the bill is passed.
Timelines for Treating Mould Within Awaab’s Law
When treating mould within a property in accordance with Awaab’s Law, the timelines are divided into different categories depending on the resident and the level of danger it poses; all cases should undergo a triage process before being classified into a category. For further guidance, please refer to the links provided at the end of this article.
A “Significant Hazard” refers to a risk that poses a serious threat to the health or safety of a tenant living in a social home. At a minimum, all cases of dampness or mould in a property will be classified as significant hazards.
“Emergency Hazard” means a hazard that presents an imminent and significant risk of harm to the health or safety of a tenant of the social home, such as prevalent mould that is having a material impact on a tenant’s health, for example, their ability to breathe.
Within Awaabs’ Law, all social housing landlords are required to comply with the following timelines when investigating and responding to hazards reported within their properties:
Timelines for treating mould classed as a ‘Significant Hazard’ in a social housing property.
- Investigate any potential mould problems within 10 working days of becoming aware of them.
- Produce a written summary of the findings and provide this to the named tenant within 3 working days (unless the works are already completed) of the investigation taking place.
- Treat the mould within 5 working days of an investigation that has identified a significant hazard.
- Once the immediate significant hazard is addressed, you must begin or take steps to start further work to ensure the problem doesn’t recur within 5 working days.
- The required works must be started within 12 weeks of the investigation and satisfactorily completed within a reasonable time period.
Timelines for treating mould classed as an ‘Emergency Hazard’ in a social housing property:
- You must investigate and treat any mould problems classified as an emergency hazard within 24 hours of being made aware of the issue to make the area safe for the resident.
- Once the immediate significant hazard is addressed, you must begin or take steps to start further work to ensure the problem doesn’t recur within 5 working days.
- The required works must be started within 12 weeks of the investigation and satisfactorily completed within a reasonable time period.
For both a significant and emergency hazard, if you are unable to complete the work within the time frame set out by Awaab’s law, you must find and pay for a suitable alternative for the household. You must also keep the named tenant updated throughout the process and provide information on how to stay safe.
Awaab’s Law, which comes into effect on October 27th, 2025, imposes clear statutory duties on social landlords, with enforceable response times and tenant-facing obligations relating to the treatment of mould within their properties.
While treating visible mould swiftly is now a legal requirement, prevention remains the most effective approach. Landlords must adopt proactive inspection regimes, enhance ventilation strategies, and train staff in the early identification and reporting of issues. If you are uncertain about compliance pathways or would like expert assistance in developing a mould prevention plan, our team is ready to support you.