What is Awaab's Law?
Awaab's Law is a set of provisions — originally introduced through the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 and now extended to private landlords through the Renters' Rights Act 2025 — that impose strict timelines on landlords for investigating and repairing serious housing hazards.
The core requirements are:
5 working days to investigate
When a tenant reports a potential Category 1 hazard, the landlord must begin investigating within 5 working days.
7 days for emergency repairs
If the hazard poses an immediate risk to health or safety, emergency repairs must be completed within 7 calendar days.
Reasonable timeframe for non-emergency repairs
For hazards that require repair but are not immediately dangerous, repairs must be completed within a reasonable timeframe following the investigation.
These deadlines are legally binding. Missing them can result in enforcement action by the local authority, civil penalties, and in serious cases, prosecution.
Who was Awaab Ishak?
Awaab Ishak was a two-year-old boy who died on 21 December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his family's flat at Freehold estate in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. The flat was managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), a registered social housing provider.
Awaab's father had repeatedly reported the mould to RBH from 2017 onwards. The housing association failed to take effective action over a period of years. A coroner's inquest in November 2022 found that Awaab's death was caused by the mould and that RBH had failed in its duty to address the issue.
The case shocked the country and led directly to legislation requiring landlords to respond to hazard reports within strict timelines. The law is named in Awaab's memory to ensure no other family suffers similar consequences from landlord inaction.
What counts as a Category 1 hazard?
Category 1 hazards are defined under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), introduced by the Housing Act 2004. A hazard is classified as Category 1 when it poses a serious and immediate risk to the health or safety of occupants. The HHSRS identifies 29 hazards, grouped into four categories:
Physiological hazards
- Damp and mould growth — the most common Category 1 hazard in private rentals
- Excess cold — inadequate heating or insulation
- Excess heat — lack of ventilation or cooling in habitable rooms
- Asbestos and manufactured mineral fibres
- Biocides — chemicals used in wood treatment, pest control, etc.
- Carbon monoxide and fuel combustion products
- Lead — from paint, pipes, or soil contamination
- Radiation — radon gas
- Uncombusted fuel gas
- Volatile organic compounds
Psychological hazards
- Crowding and space — insufficient living space for the number of occupants
- Entry by intruders — inadequate security (locks, windows, doors)
- Lighting — insufficient natural or artificial lighting
- Noise — inadequate sound insulation between dwellings
Protection against infection and accidents
- Domestic hygiene, pests, and refuse — inadequate facilities for waste disposal, infestations
- Food safety — inadequate kitchen facilities for safe food preparation
- Personal hygiene, sanitation, and drainage — defective bathrooms, toilets, drainage
- Water supply — contaminated water, inadequate hot water supply
- Falls on stairs, between levels, on level surfaces, or in baths
- Electrical hazards — exposed wiring, lack of RCD protection
- Fire — inadequate fire detection, escape routes, or fire-resistant construction
- Flames and hot surfaces — risk of burns from unguarded heating
- Collision and entrapment — dangerous glazing, low headroom, trapped fingers
- Explosions — faulty gas installations
- Structural collapse and falling elements — unstable walls, ceilings, roofs
Not every instance of these issues is a Category 1 hazard. The HHSRS uses a scoring system based on the likelihood of harm and the severity of the potential outcome. A professional assessment determines whether a specific issue reaches the Category 1 threshold. However, landlords should treat any report of these issues seriously and investigate promptly — you cannot wait for a formal HHSRS assessment before acting.
The 5-working-day investigation requirement
When a tenant reports what could be a Category 1 hazard — for example, significant damp or mould, an exposed electrical wire, or a broken boiler in winter — the clock starts ticking. You have 5 working days to begin investigating.
"Begin investigating" means you must take active steps to assess the problem. This includes:
- Acknowledging the report in writing (email or letter) within 24 hours
- Arranging an inspection of the property — either by you, your agent, or a qualified professional
- Conducting the inspection within the 5-working-day window
- Identifying the nature and severity of the hazard
- Determining whether emergency repair is needed (7-day timeline applies) or a planned repair
- Communicating the outcome of the investigation to the tenant in writing
Important: working days, not calendar days
The 5-day investigation period is measured in working days (Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays). A report received on a Friday gives you until the following Friday. A report received on a Wednesday gives you until the following Wednesday. PropReady automatically calculates the correct deadline based on working days and bank holidays.
The 7-day emergency repair requirement
If the investigation reveals that the hazard poses an immediate risk to the tenant's health or safety, emergency repairs must be completed within 7 calendar days. Examples of situations requiring emergency repair include:
- A gas leak or carbon monoxide detection — immediate danger to life
- Complete loss of heating in winter — risk of excess cold, especially for vulnerable tenants
- Severe water ingress causing electrical hazards — risk of electrocution
- Structural instability — risk of collapse
- Extensive mould in a bedroom occupied by a child or immunocompromised person
- Complete loss of hot water supply — hygiene and sanitation risk
The 7-day period is measured in calendar days (not working days). If the repair cannot be completed in 7 days — for example, because replacement parts need to be ordered — you must take reasonable interim measures to protect the tenant. This could include providing temporary heating, dehumidifiers, or in extreme cases, temporary alternative accommodation.
Document everything: what was reported, when you investigated, what you found, what action you took, and when the repair was completed. This documentation is your evidence of compliance.
Non-emergency repairs
Not every Category 1 hazard requires emergency repair within 7 days. Where the hazard is serious but not immediately dangerous, the landlord must complete repairs within a "reasonable timeframe" following the investigation.
What counts as "reasonable" depends on the circumstances, but factors include:
- The severity of the hazard and the risk to the tenant
- The complexity of the repair work required
- Whether the repair requires specialist contractors or materials
- Whether planning permission or building regulations approval is needed
- The availability of contractors (seasonal demand, specialist skills)
- Whether interim measures can reduce the risk while the repair is pending
As a general guide, most non-emergency repairs should be completed within 28 days. If it will take longer, communicate this to the tenant in writing with a clear reason and expected completion date. Keeping the tenant informed and taking interim measures demonstrates good faith.
Evidence and record-keeping requirements
Awaab's Law compliance depends on documentation. If a local authority investigates or a tenant makes a complaint, you need to demonstrate that you met the required timelines. Keep records of:
Tenant report
- Date and time the hazard was reported
- Method of report (email, phone, letter, portal)
- Description of the issue as reported by the tenant
- Any photos or videos provided by the tenant
Investigation
- Date the report was acknowledged
- Date the inspection was arranged
- Date the inspection took place (must be within 5 working days)
- Who conducted the inspection
- Findings of the inspection — nature and severity of the hazard
Repair
- Whether emergency or non-emergency
- Date the repair was scheduled
- Contractor details (name, company, qualifications)
- Date the repair was completed
- Description of the work done
- Before and after photographs
- Any interim measures taken while awaiting repair
Communication
- Written acknowledgement of the report
- Written update after investigation with findings
- Written confirmation of repair completion
- Any correspondence with the tenant about the issue
PropReady logs all of this automatically. When a hazard is reported through the dashboard or tenant portal, a timer starts, and every action — acknowledgement, inspection, repair scheduling, completion — is timestamped and stored in your audit trail.
What happens if you miss deadlines
Missing Awaab's Law deadlines is a serious matter. The consequences depend on the severity of the failure and the local authority's approach:
Local authority enforcement
The local authority can issue improvement notices requiring you to complete the repair within a specified timeframe. Failure to comply with an improvement notice is a criminal offence.
Civil penalties
Local authorities can issue civil penalty notices of up to £30,000 for Housing Act offences. Repeated failures or failures affecting vulnerable tenants attract higher penalties.
Prosecution
In serious cases — particularly where the landlord's failure has caused harm to the tenant's health — the local authority can prosecute. Criminal convictions carry unlimited fines and can result in banning orders.
Rent Repayment Orders
Tenants can apply for Rent Repayment Orders where the landlord has committed a Housing Act offence. The tribunal can award up to 12 months' rent back to the tenant.
Rogue landlord database
Landlords who receive civil penalties or criminal convictions can be entered onto the national database of rogue landlords, which is publicly accessible.
How to set up proper procedures
Compliance with Awaab's Law requires a systematic approach. Here is a practical procedure you can implement today:
Set up a clear reporting channel
Give tenants an easy way to report hazards — email, online portal, or phone. Make it clear what constitutes an urgent report. PropReady's tenant portal lets tenants report issues with photos directly, which starts the Awaab's Law timer automatically.
Acknowledge every report within 24 hours
When a hazard report comes in, send a written acknowledgement within 24 hours confirming you've received it and that you will investigate within 5 working days. Include a reference number for tracking.
Inspect within 5 working days
Arrange and conduct an inspection within the 5-working-day window. This can be done by you, your agent, or a qualified professional (e.g., a damp surveyor, electrician, or gas engineer depending on the issue). Take photographs and make notes.
Assess severity and classify the repair
After inspection, determine whether the hazard requires emergency repair (7 calendar days) or non-emergency repair (reasonable timeframe). Document your reasoning. When in doubt, treat it as an emergency.
Communicate findings to the tenant in writing
Send the tenant a written summary of the inspection findings, the classification (emergency or non-emergency), and the expected repair timeline. Include details of any interim measures you're taking.
Schedule and complete the repair
Book the contractor, confirm the date with the tenant, and ensure the repair is completed within the required timeframe. If the repair is delayed, communicate the reason and new expected date to the tenant.
Confirm completion and close the case
After the repair, confirm completion to the tenant in writing. Include before and after photographs. Ask the tenant to confirm they are satisfied. Log the entire case in your records.
Build a list of reliable contractors
Identify and vet contractors for common repair types: plumber, electrician, gas engineer, damp specialist, roofer, general builder. Having pre-vetted contractors means you can respond faster when a report comes in.
Key takeaways
Awaab's Law is legally binding for private landlords under the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
You have 5 working days to begin investigating a reported Category 1 hazard.
Emergency repairs must be completed within 7 calendar days.
Non-emergency repairs should be completed within a reasonable timeframe (typically 28 days).
Documentation is essential — log every report, inspection, action, and communication.
Missing deadlines can result in civil penalties up to £30,000, prosecution, and Rent Repayment Orders.
Set up clear reporting channels, keep a contractor list ready, and respond to every report promptly.
PropReady tracks Awaab's Law timers automatically and maintains a complete audit trail.
Related guides and tools
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