02920 829 100 
Awaab’s Law and the future of social housing standards in England
April 21, 2026
By Heledd Evans
The condition of social housing is under increasing scrutiny, with damp, mould, and wider safety hazards becoming a hot topic. For social landlords in England, expectations around how hazards are identified, investigated, and remedied are tightening significantly.
The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (also known as ‘Awaab’s Law’) was enacted to provide clearer standards and sharpen expectations on how quickly issues are recognised and resolved. This has led to a need for social landlords in England to strengthen their processes regarding responding to damp and mould.
Our expert, Heledd, outlines what these changes mean in practice and how landlords should adapt.
Awaab’s Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a 2-year-old who tragically died in 2020 from a lung condition caused by mould in his home. The parents had told their social landlord about the mould but the appropriate steps had not been taken by the landlord to eradicate the problem.
Awaab’s Law now provides a legal backstop for situations where social landlords fail to respond quickly enough to mitigate hazards, leaving their tenants at risk. Discussions within the housing sector emphasise that these regulations are expected to intensify expectations, not only regarding statutory timescales, but by influencing how seriously social landlords treat resident’s reports of hazards.
The regulations are being introduced in three phases, with phase 1 having been in force since 27 October 2025.
This approach is intended to enable rapid protection against emergency hazards whilst ensuring wider reforms are designed effectively, allowing ongoing learning and adjustment.
Phase 1
During phase 1, social landlords must investigate and make safe emergency hazards within 24 hours, including issues posing immediate or significant harm, such as dangerous electrics, major leaks, or insecure external doors or windows. They must also investigate significant damp and mould within 10 working days. The hazard must then be made safe within a further 5 working days.
Phase 1 applies to local authority landlord and registered providers of social housing.
Phase 2
From October 2026 regulations will extend to significant hazards. This includes:
Phase 3
The final stage, from October 2027 will extend requirements to all other significant hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), except overcrowding.
It seems that regulatory expectations around hazard management will continue to rise for social landlords, and landlord performance will face ongoing monitoring. Compliance is not a one-off exercise but part of a broader cultural shift towards safety and accountability.
It is essential that social landlords in England take practical steps to deal with issues that arise in their tenanted houses, and that all concerns about residents’ homes are treated appropriately.
Our property dispute experts advise social landlords on navigating regulatory change, managing risk, and implementing compliant, practical solutions.
If you would like to discuss the above or need support reviewing your current processes, get in touch with our team using the contact form or on 02920 829 100 to see how we can help you.
To speak to one of our experts today, please contact us on 02920 829 100 or by using our Contact Us form for a free initial chat to see how we can help.
