Awaab's Law: What Landlords Must Do About Damp, Mould and Hazards in 2026

In December 2020, two-year-old Awaab Ishak died in Rochdale from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in a social housing property. His death prompted a national outcry and a new law bearing his name that sets strict, timed duties for dealing with housing hazards.

Awaab's Law is already in force for social landlords, having started on 27 October 2025 and rolling out in phases (damp, mould and emergency hazards first, with wider hazards following through 2026 and 2027). For the private rented sector, the Renters' Rights Act 2025 gives the government the power to extend the same duties to private landlords, but the exact private-sector timeframes will be set by regulations only after a consultation. They are not yet law. They are, however, clearly coming, and the direction of travel is set.

Status in short: live for social landlords now; confirmed as coming to the private rented sector via the Renters' Rights Act; private-sector deadlines to be confirmed after consultation. The timeframes in this guide are the social-sector rules, and they are the best current indication of what private landlords will need to meet. Acting on them now is the safest way to get ahead.

What does Awaab's Law actually require?

Under the social-sector rules that took effect in October 2025, which are the template the private-sector duties are expected to follow, the law creates a tiered response system based on the severity of the hazard:

Emergency hazards (gas leaks, structural collapse, major flooding)

• You must take action immediately - within 24 hours
• If you cannot make the property safe within 24 hours, you must provide alternative accommodation
• Emergency works must begin within 24 hours

Category 1 hazards (damp and mould, electrical faults, fire hazards, cold)

Category 1 hazards are those defined under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) as posing a serious risk to health or safety. These are the most common hazards landlords face.

• You must investigate within 5 working days of the tenant's report
• You must begin remediation works within 7 working days of completing your investigation
• You must complete the works within a reasonable timeframe
• If you cannot complete within these timescales, you must provide written reasons and a revised timeline

Category 2 hazards and general repairs

For less serious hazards, you must respond within a "reasonable time" - which in practice means within 28 days for most routine repairs. However, if a Category 2 hazard is left unaddressed and worsens into a Category 1 hazard, the stricter timelines kick in retrospectively from the original report date.

What counts as a Category 1 hazard?

The most common Category 1 hazards in residential properties are:

• Damp and mould: Visible mould growth (not just minor surface mould), condensation causing structural dampness, rising or penetrating damp
• Cold: Inability to maintain 18°C in living areas - poor insulation, broken boiler, inadequate heating
• Electrical: Exposed wiring, malfunctioning sockets, outdated fuse board, signs of burning or sparking
• Fire: Blocked escape routes, absent/broken smoke alarms, fire hazards in communal areas
• Falls: Broken stairs, missing bannisters, unsafe flooring in high-traffic areas
• Carbon monoxide: Malfunctioning gas appliances

PropReady's AI maintenance classifier automatically assesses each tenant report and flags whether it is likely to be a Category 1 hazard, starting your 5-day investigation timer automatically.

What happens if I miss the deadlines?

Once Awaab's Law applies to the private rented sector, missing the timescales is expected to carry real penalties. The Renters' Rights Act sets lower-tier civil penalties of up to £7,000 for many breaches, alongside council enforcement action. Where multiple hazards are outstanding, expect penalties to stack.

Tenants can also apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for a Rent Repayment Order, meaning they can recover up to 12 months of rent they paid while living with an unaddressed hazard.

From late 2026, tenants will also be able to bring complaints to the new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman, who can award compensation without the need for court proceedings.

The key practical challenge: proving you responded in time

The letter of the law matters less than the evidence you can produce. When a tenant claims you failed to respond to a hazard report, your defence depends entirely on your documentation:

• When did you receive the report? (WhatsApp timestamp? Email? In-person verbal report - do you have a note?)
• When did you investigate? (Did you visit the property? Who did you bring?)
• What did your investigation find? (Written note, photos)
• When did you instruct a contractor? (Email or text to contractor)
• When did the works begin and complete?

If you cannot produce this evidence, a council inspector or tribunal is unlikely to rule in your favour, even if you did act reasonably.

How PropReady helps with Awaab's Law compliance

PropReady's maintenance module:

• Gives your tenants a portal link to log maintenance reports - every report is timestamped automatically
• Classifies each report using AI (emergency / Category 1 / routine)
• Starts the appropriate countdown timer the moment a report is received
• Sends you SMS alerts when a timer is approaching deadline
• Allows you to log contractor instructions, visits, and completion - all timestamped
• Creates an ombudsman-ready audit trail for every property

Damp and mould: the most common Category 1 hazard

Damp and mould is by far the most common Category 1 hazard in the private rented sector. The causes range from condensation (a tenant behaviour issue) to penetrating damp (a building defect) - and the distinction matters for how you respond.

Condensation mould

Even if the root cause is tenant lifestyle (inadequate ventilation, drying laundry indoors), you cannot simply tell the tenant to open windows and close the matter. You must investigate and, if the property has poor ventilation or inadequate heating, address those deficiencies. Courts have consistently held that where a property is structurally inadequate to resist condensation mould, the landlord is responsible.

Penetrating or rising damp

These are building defects requiring professional remediation. You have 5 days to investigate, and remediation should begin within 7 days of identifying the cause. In practice, damp remediation can take weeks - that's acceptable, provided you begin works and communicate with the tenant about timescales.

Checklist: Awaab's Law readiness

The timeframes below mirror the social-sector rules and are the best current guide for private landlords. Treat them as best practice now, and adjust once the private-sector regulations confirm the final figures.

• ☐ Set up a formal, documented maintenance reporting channel for all tenants
• ☐ Ensure every report is timestamped when received
• ☐ Respond to all Category 1 hazard reports with a physical inspection within 5 working days
• ☐ Log the outcome of your investigation in writing
• ☐ Instruct contractors within 7 working days of completing your investigation
• ☐ Log when works begin and complete
• ☐ Address any outstanding damp/mould reports immediately - these are the highest risk