Your Guide to Avoiding Fines, Staying Compliant and Protecting Tenants Under Awaab’s Law.
Why Does Awaab’s Law Matter for UK Landlords?
The tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020, due to prolonged exposure to mould in a social housing flat his family rented from Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, sent shockwaves through the UK rental sector. Following a coroner’s report, in response, the Government brought in Awaab’s Law introduce by the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. This act is designed to ensure that landlords and property managers act swiftly on health and safety concerns, particularly issues relating to damp, mould, and property disrepair.
For landlords, whether private, corporate, or social, this law marks a significant shift in legal responsibility. If you’re not prepared, as a UK landlord, you could face fines, legal action, and even restrictions on letting your property.
At Chancellors, we help landlords not just stay compliant but stay ahead of all relevant and necessary regulations and legalities. This guide explains everything you need to know about Awaab’s Law, what it means for your properties, and how we can help you avoid risk
What Is Awaab’s Law?
Awaab’s Law was introduced as part of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 in response to the coroner’s findings after Awaab Ishak’s death in Rochdale. The property, managed by a housing association, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, had significant mould and damp issues reported multiple times, yet no action was taken to rectify this. The coroner concluded that prolonged exposure led to respiratory failure, making this case a much-needed change for housing safety and quality reform.
What the Law Requires
Awaab’s Law enforces strict timeframes for social and private landlords to address health hazards, including mould, damp, structural disrepair, or anything affecting habitability. This means landlords will be required to investigate dangerous damp and mould issues and fix them within a set timeframe. Emergency hazards though will require a repair within 24 hours.
While the law initially targets social housing, it ultimately sets a precedent for private landlords and managing agents, with wider guidance and regulation expected to extend to the PRS (Private Rented Sector).
The Key Requirements (As of 2025)
- Mandatory timeframes for landlords to investigate and fix reported health hazards, with more emergency fixes required within 24 hours. For instance, if a tenant reports a leaking ceiling or extensive mould growth in a bathroom, landlords will be expected to investigate within 7 days and start repairs within 14 days, or faster in emergency cases.
- Prioritisation of mould, damp, condensation, and other Category 1 hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
- Enforcement backed by local authority powers, including inspections and financial penalties.
- Upcoming guidance to set clear timeframes (likely 14-21 days) to act on issues like mould.
- Implications for fitness for habitation, Section 21 evictions, and housing disrepair claims.
How Does Awaab’s Law Affect Social Housing Landlords?
This law will form the basis of the social housing tenancy agreement, and alongside the Renters Reform Bill provides tenants with more powers to hold landlords accountable if they fail to comply with the regulations.
If social housing landlords do fail to comply, they would be in breach of the tenancy agreement, leading to potential fines and other legal implications.
Overall, Awaab’s Law will mean providing safe and habitable environments and property for tenants, but also, should the landlords fail to comply will need to provide alternative accommodation for the tenants at no additional costs until the fixes have been implemented and the root cause of the problems addressed.
How Does Awaab’s Law Affect Private Landlords?
While Awaab’s Law is legally directed at social housing providers, the government are planning to extend this to the private rented section, meaning private landlords should consider it a new baseline for best practice, and act now, especially as:
- Private sector regulations are being reviewed as part of the Renters Reform agenda.
- Local authorities are empowered to enforce HHSRS (Housing Health and Safety Rating System) and disrepair rules more aggressively.
- Tenants are more aware of their rights and more likely to take legal action or report issues.
In short, you are at greater risk of being fined, taken to tribunal, or even unable to evict a tenant if mould/damp issues exist. Effectively this also means Awaab’s Law and powers can extend through the new Renter’s Reform Bill impacting the private rented sector.
Awaab’s Law will come into effect for the social housing sector from October 2025, in a phased manner, extending throughout 2027. This however, when it was first announced in February, has come to some scrutiny from Shelter regarding this phased approach who said “today’s announcement means social housing tenants will have to wait years longer for this vital protection. These delays to implementation represent a real risk to the health and safety of tenants and puts lives at risk.”
From October 2025 landlords of social property will have to address the following:
- From October 2025 landlords with social properties will need to investigate and fix any dangerous damp and mould related issues within a set period. Any emergency problems need to be fixed within 24 hours.
- In 2026 the requirements will cover a wider range of hazards, including “excess cold and excess heat; falls; structural collapse; fire, electrical and explosions; and hygiene hazards.”
- From 2027 Awaab’s Law will then expand to include remaining hazards under the Schedule 1 of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) Regulations 2005, with overcrowding excluded.
Whilst there will be a phased approach to this law, Chancellors can’t stress enough how important it is to begin working on immediate changes and repairs to potential hazards. Whilst landlords are expected to address up to 29 hazards, it’s crucial you aim to extend this to as many other potential hazards.
This is going to benefit both landlords and tenants in the long run, and because you’re prepared early enough will mean ensuring you’re already compliant.
Richard Blakeway of the Housing Ombudsman made a statement following the Government’s announcement of Awaab’s Law, saying:
“The expectations are clear, and landlords should not wait until the last moment to make changes but extend the discipline of Awaab’s Law to other hazards as soon as possible, especially when handling mould alongside other hazards in the same home or block.”
What Counts as a Property Health Hazard?
Under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), landlords are expected to mitigate risks from 29 hazard categories. Under Awaab’s Law, the most critical hazards will include the likes of:
- Persistent damp and mould.
- Poor ventilation or lack of extractor fans.
- Condensation-related black mould in bathrooms and kitchens.
- Faulty heating and poor insulation.
- Asbestos or lead.
- Structural defects causing water ingress.
- Property is dangerously cold or hot.
- Any health hazard affecting vulnerable tenants (children, elderly, asthmatics).
What Are the Legal Risks and Penalties for Landlords?
Landlords will be expected to act swiftly, identifying, reporting, and fixing hazards, including damp or mould. Failure to comply with Awaab’s Law could result in:
- Fines and penalties of up to £30,000 per breach under the Housing Act.
- Being barred from serving a Section 21 notice if the property is deemed unfit.
- Tenants filing for rent repayment orders or disrepair claims.
- Reputational damage or being listed in rogue landlord databases.
Chancellors’ Property Management service helps mitigate this risk by identifying issues before they escalate and fixing them fast.
Awaab’s Law Compliance Checklist for Landlords
If you’re a private or social housing landlord in 2025, there are many things you could be doing to ensure you stay compliant with Awaab’s Law. Here’s how to future-proof your properties:
1. Conduct a Full Property Health Check
Book a full HHSRS inspection to review any mould, ventilation, or structural damp issues.
Chancellors can provide preventative property condition checks as part of our Property Management package.
2. Act Immediately on Damp & Mould Reports
Ensure you have a documented response plan. Best practice includes:
- Acknowledging the issue within 24 hours.
- Inspecting the site within 7 days.
- Starting work within 14 days.
3. Use Trusted, Qualified Contractors
Avoid “quick fix” cowboys. Using contractors that you found on a Facebook page with no reviews offering a “quick fix” at much lower prices may seem desirable, however this could:
- Leave you still liable if the work isn’t regulated or set to the standards required.
- Increase long-term costs due to ill-fitting and incorrect implementation, or simply because the work has been taken longer than expected.
- Void landlord insurance, especially if it’s cash in hand, and the contractors aren’t insured.
At Chancellors, we only work with vetted, fully insured tradespeople, reducing risk for you and your tenants.
4. Record All Work and Communication
Communication is key here. You want to make sure that you’re able to protect yourself with paperwork and other documentation should there be any Section 21 defences, court disputes, or potential insurance claims.
Keeping logs of:
- Tenant reports.
- Inspection findings.
- Work carried out by contractors.
- Follow-ups and tenant sign-off.
With Chancellors, this process is fully supported through the My Chancellors account, which enables landlords to track maintenance requests, inspections, and repairs in real time creating a complete audit trail for compliance.
Depending on your chosen service level, Tenant Find Only (TFO), Rent Collect, or Fully Managed, the degree of involvement may vary. For landlords seeking full peace of mind and legal protection, our Fully Managed service includes proactive property oversight, contractor coordination, and documentation of all works, ensuring you’re always prepared should an issue arise.
5. Reassess Your Landlord Insurance
It’s important that landlords review their insurance policies as not all policies cover tenant claims for disrepair, legal claims, or health issues caused by hazardous conditions. This insurance would cover:
- Liability, covering legal costs and damages.
- Emergency repairs, required under Awaab’s Law.
Talk to Chancellors about robust Landlord Insurance packages that cover liability linked to property condition.
For New or Switching Landlords: Don’t Risk Non-Compliance
Whether you’re new to letting or even if you’re a current landlord tired of managing everything yourself, Chancellors can provide a fully managed property management service, taking care of the following for you giving you peace of mind:
- Regular property inspections, as well as actions needed.
- Providing detailed reports to you with advice and recommendations.
- Emergency 24/7 repair response.
- Legal compliance tracking.
- Tenant dispute handling.
We manage all of this for you, so you don’t have to. Our expert team are high experienced in managing multiple properties and are trained in ensuring you comply with the ever-changing regulations involved with being a landlord, including gas, electricity and furnishing safety regulations.
Why Work with Chancellors?
Chancellors are more than a letting agent, we’re your compliance partner, helping you navigate evolving legislation without risk.
Awaab’s Law is not just about compliance. It’s a much-needed call to action for landlords to treat tenant safety as a core responsibility rather than a box-ticking exercise, ensuring tenants are safe, properties are fit to live in, and ultimately save lives as a result.
Whilst we understand these new regulations may make things more difficult, and will certainly be more costly, proactive landlords will benefit from:
- Reduced legal risk in the long term.
- Higher tenant satisfaction, meaning longer retention periods.
- Lower voids, improving financial stability.
- Long-term value preservation.
Contact our team today to discuss your property portfolio and ensure you’re protected and remain compliant with Awaab’s Law.
