According to the English Housing Survey, around 7% of social rented homes in England had a damp problem in 2023. In the same year, 4% of all social rented homes contained at least one Category 1 hazard, the most dangerous level. That equates to over 150,000 households living with dangerous hazards.
For housing providers, these aren’t just statistics. They’re compliance risks, tenant safety issues, and potential legal liabilities.
Awaab’s Law changes the rules entirely.
Since 27 October 2025, social landlords in England now face legally enforceable timescales for investigating and fixing damp, mould, and emergency hazards. Miss these deadlines and tenants can now take you to court for breach of contract.
What is Awaab’s Law?
Awaab’s Law is named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in December 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s Rochdale social housing. His parents had complained repeatedly for three years, yet no action was taken.
The Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 introduced Section 10A into the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, creating new implied terms in all social housing tenancy agreements. The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 brought these requirements into force.
This isn’t guidance. It’s now law, and tenants can sue for breach of contract if you fail to comply.
At Chameleon Technology, we’re building the tools you need to proactively care for your tenants and housing. Our monitoring solutions help housing providers identify potential damp and mould risks before they reach a point where issues develop, and before tenants need to report issues.
Find Out More About Our Monitoring Devices
The timescales you must meet
Emergency hazards
- Investigate and complete safety work as soon as reasonably practicable, and within 24 hours of becoming aware (unless suitable alternative accommodation is provided).
- Emergency hazards are defined functionally as those posing an imminent and significant risk requiring action within 24 hours.
- Examples include gas leaks, electrical hazards, total loss of water supply, major leaks, broken external doors/windows (where security is a risk), and serious structural defects.
Significant damp and mould hazards
- Investigate: 10 working days from becoming aware.
- Provide written summary to tenant: 3 working days after investigation concludes (unless all required work is completed within those 3 days)
- Make property safe: 5 working days after investigation (complete relevant safety work to remove the hazard).
- Begin supplementary preventative works: as soon as reasonably practicable, and within 12 weeks if works cannot begin within 5 working days.
These timescales are strict, and there is no leeway for being busy or short-staffed. Internal resourcing or contractor issues do not excuse non-compliance.
In a small number of cases, such as where third-party consent is required, landlords must show they have used all reasonable endeavours and acted as soon as reasonably practicable.
What counts as a significant hazard?
A significant hazard poses a significant risk of harm to health or safety, requiring urgent action, but not within 24 hours.
The regulations do not require a Category 1 rating under HHSRS. Category 2 hazards can be covered if they relate to damp and mould and meet the ‘significant risk of harm’ test. The bar for intervention is lower than many providers expect.
Key point from government guidance: Government guidance and the Housing Ombudsman make it clear that landlords must not simply attribute damp and mould to tenant ‘lifestyle’ without a proper investigation and evidence.
What’s not covered
Awaab’s Law doesn’t apply when:
- The hazard is caused by tenant breach of tenancy (but don’t assume this without investigation)
- The deficiency is in a building/land you’re not responsible for maintaining
- The hazard relates to unapproved overcrowding
- It’s damage to tenant-owned fixtures and fittings
Communal areas and gardens where you’re responsible are covered.
Cladding remediation is excluded because it’s typically a long-term project, not an emergency repair. You still have duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and Building Safety Act 2022 for this.
Phased implementation: what’s coming next
Phase 1 (27 October 2025) – Now in force
- All emergency hazards (except overcrowding)
- Significant damp and mould hazards
Phase 2 (2026)
Extends implementation to additional significant hazards:
- Excess cold and excess heat
- Falls on stairs and steps
- Falls on the level (including slippery or uneven floors)
- Falls associated with baths and showers
- Structural collapse
- Fire, electrical hazards, and explosions
- Domestic and personal hygiene
- Food safety
Phase 3 (2027)
All remaining HHSRS hazards (except overcrowding) where they present significant risk of harm.
The government is taking a ‘test and learn’ approach with this phased rollout, but social landlords should prepare now for future phases.
How to comply: practical steps
1. Establish triage systems
You need dedicated teams who can assess whether a reported issue triggers Awaab’s Law timescales. This requires training across all staff who have tenant contact. A mishandled first report can escalate quickly.
2. Upgrade contractor arrangements
A casual approach to repair schedules won’t work. You need:
- 24-hour emergency response contracts
- Contractors who can mobilise within 5 working days for confirmed hazards
- Qualified specialists for damp and mould assessments
- Pre-arranged relationships, not ad-hoc callouts
3. Implement tracking systems
Manual systems cannot cope with the speed at which documentation and timeline updates are required. You need digital systems that:
- Track cases from report to completion
- Trigger automatic alerts before deadlines
- Produce audit trails and compliance reports
- Flag vulnerable tenants who require priority
4. Document everything
Before beginning works, create clear records:
- Photographic evidence of the hazard
- Details of the deficiency causing it
- Tenant vulnerabilities that increase risk
- Investigation findings and proposed remedies
- All communications with tenants
5. Provide written summaries
Within 3 working days of investigation (unless all required work is completed within that period), tenants must receive written confirmation of:
- What hazard was found (or why no hazard exists)
- What will be done to make the property safe
- What permanent works are needed to prevent recurrence
- When works will happen
- If property can’t be made safe in time, offer of suitable alternative accommodation
Predictive monitoring: catching issues before tenant reports
The most effective compliance strategy is identifying damp and mould risks before they become hazards.
Chameleon Technology’s Gateway Connect devices monitor ambient temperature and humidity alongside energy usage, providing data that helps identify properties at risk of damp and mould conditions.
Energy, temperature and humidity monitoring helps you identify:
- Properties with environmental conditions that could lead to damp and mould
- Where heating or ventilation systems may be underperforming
- Changing circumstances that might warrant investigation before tenants need to report anything
- Early intervention prevents emergency callouts, reduces remedial costs, and demonstrates proactive compliance if issues are later reported.
Consequences of non-compliance
Legal action by tenants
Tenants can sue for breach of contract if you fail to meet Awaab’s Law timescales. They do not have to prove negligence, only that the prescribed requirement applied and you did not comply. If claiming damages, they will also need to show they suffered loss.
Housing Ombudsman
Damp and mould is now the Housing Ombudsman’s number one complaint category, with complaints increasing significantly year-on-year. Awaab’s Law gives them clear standards to measure you against. They’re getting tougher on findings and compensation awards.
Regulatory intervention
The Regulator of Social Housing will monitor compliance closely. Systematic failures could trigger regulatory investigation, potentially affecting your registration status.
Reputational damage
Non-compliance becomes public. Local media, tenant groups, and MPs scrutinise social landlords’ responses to damp and mould. One high-profile failure can damage tenant trust across your entire portfolio.
Why proactive compliance delivers more than penalty avoidance
Beyond avoiding legal action, housing providers who exceed Awaab’s Law requirements see measurable operational benefits.
Properties with documented proactive monitoring and rapid response systems experience:
Longer tenancies and lower void periods
Tenants stay in homes where maintenance issues are resolved quickly. Lower turnover reduces void costs and re-letting expenses.
Reduced emergency callouts
Predictive monitoring catches issues before they become emergencies. Scheduled maintenance is cheaper than out-of-hours emergency responses.
Lower long-term repair costs
Addressing damp early prevents deeper structural damage. A mould wash costs hundreds. Replacing damaged plasterwork and treating structural damp costs thousands.
Improved regulatory standing
Demonstrating robust systems and proactive compliance strengthens your position with the Regulator of Social Housing.
Stronger tenant relationships
Swift responses to hazard reports build trust. Better relationships mean tenants report issues earlier, before they escalate. Healthier tenants also mean better employment outcomes and more stable rent payments. Reducing preventable health issues benefits everyone.
Looking ahead: private rented sector extension
The government has announced plans to extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, via the Renters’ Rights Bill, and is expected to be implemented later in 2026. Portfolio landlords and property managers should monitor these developments and start preparing systems now.
Get ahead of compliance requirements
Awaab’s Law marks a fundamental shift from reactive repairs to legally mandated timescales. Housing providers who implement proactive monitoring and robust response systems will find compliance manageable. Those relying on tenant reports and ad-hoc contractors will struggle.
Get in touch to discuss how our environmental monitoring can help you meet Awaab’s Law requirements, and identify damp and mould risks before they become hazards.
