The introduction of Awaab’s Law and what it means for Social Housing

In the run up to the introduction of Awaab’s Law, due to become effective in October 2025, a £15m programme has been carried out by local councils across the West Midlands, to treat over 4,400 social homes for damp and mould, utilising the Social Housing Decency Fund, which resulted in over 8,000 separate improvements to the effected properties. These improvements included fitting new insulation, upgrading heating systems, roof leaks, fixing doors and windows amongst other improvements. The housing secretary, Angela Rayner, has confirmed in a written statement that “the government will bring Awaab’s Law into force for the social housing sector from October this year”. Going on to add, “We intend to act as quickly as possible to bring all relevant hazards within the scope of new legal requirements, but to ensure its effective implementation we will implement Awaab’s Law through a phased approach.

“This sequencing will allow us to apply the protections that Awaab’s Law provides to damp and mould earlier than would be the case if we sought to apply it to a wider group of hazards from the offset.

“It will also provide for an initial period of testing and learning to ensure the reform is being delivered in a way that benefits social tenants and secures the lasting legacy that Awaab Ishak’s family have fought so hard for. As we progressively extend the application of Awaab’s Law, we will continue to test and learn to make sure the new legal requirements are operating effectively.”

Angela Rayner confirmed in a written statement today that “the government will bring Awaab’s Law into force for the social housing sector from October this year”.

In a written statement, Ms Rayner said: “We intend to act as quickly as possible to bring all relevant hazards within the scope of new legal requirements, but to ensure its effective implementation we will implement Awaab’s Law through a phased approach.

“This sequencing will allow us to apply the protections that Awaab’s Law provides to damp and mould earlier than would be the case if we sought to apply it to a wider group of hazards from the offset.

“It will also provide for an initial period of testing and learning to ensure the reform is being delivered in a way that benefits social tenants and secures the lasting legacy that Awaab Ishak’s family have fought so hard for. As we progressively extend the application of Awaab’s Law, we will continue to test and learn to make sure the new legal requirements are operating effectively.”

The inception of Awaab’s Law arose from a tragic incident that exposed severe shortcomings in the social housing sector. Awaab Ishak, a young child, lost his life due to the hazardous conditions in his family’s council flat in Rochdale's Freehold estate, where damp and mould were pervasive, back in December 2020. This heartbreaking event drew significant public attention, igniting a wave of outrage and calls for reform. The widespread media coverage and public discourse surrounding Awaab's case revealed the appalling state of some social housing units, prompting a government response. The Misistry of Housing confirmed it received over 1,000 responses to a consultation about the law, and is finalising its requirements.

The tragic circumstances of Awaab’s death highlighted the urgent need for systemic changes in housing policy and management. It underscored the failures of existing mechanisms to address and rectify reported housing issues adequately. The severe impact on the health and well-being of residents living in substandard conditions has become impossible to ignore.

In response to this tragedy, policymakers and housing advocates pushed for comprehensive legislation aimed at preventing similar occurrences in the future. Awaab's Law was crafted to address the underlying problems that contributed to the dire conditions in which Awaab lived. It sought to implement stricter regulations and enforce accountability among housing authorities.

Public support for the legislation was bolstered by the tangible evidence of neglect and mismanagement in the social housing sector. Awaab’s story served as a catalyst for change, compelling both the public and officials to prioritise tenant safety and well-being. The resulting law aims to ensure that no family has to endure such preventable suffering and that housing providers are held to higher standards of responsibility and care.

Awaab's Law is already on the statute books under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, but secondary legislation is needed to roll it out across the social housing sector, though in January the government did admit that it was planning to assess the law based on feedback received from the social housing sector stating that they had 'vastly underestimated' how much it would cost the sector to implement such a regulation.

The government’s proposal for Awaab’s Law is as follows:

From October this year, social housing landlords will be required to address damp and mould issues that present a significant risk of harm to the health of tenants, within a fixed period. Also any emergencies relating to damp/mould have to be addressed within 24 hours. Then in 2026, further requirements will expand to apply to a wider range of hazards beyond just damp and mould. The government is expected to extend Awaab’s Law to include excess cold and excess heat issues; structural collapse of the property; fire, electrical and explosions; and also hygiene hazards. By 2027, Awaab’s Law will be expanded again to apply to all remaining hazards as defined by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (excluding overcrowding).

Ms Rayner added: “It is important to stress that the phased approach to introducing Awaab’s Law… in no way means that social landlords have any leeway when it comes to meeting their existing duties to address dangers to health and safety present in their homes before Awaab’s Law is fully implemented.

“Awaab’s Law establishes timeframes for social landlords to act. It will also be enforceable through routes such as the Housing Ombudsman and, ultimately, the courts. However, social landlords already have a duty to keep their homes fit for human habitation, free of Category 1 hazards and to remedy disrepair. The government expects those duties to be met.”

Richard Blakeway, the housing ombudsman, said: “We welcome these new measures to provide further protections for renters living in hazardous conditions and its extension to private landlords.

“It is a basic human right to live in a safe and decent home. This law is an important step towards helping the millions of people who do not – including one million children.

“When most residents have little choice over their landlord, these measures will give them greater power to challenge poor living conditions.

“We have seen some progress two years after the inquest into Awaab Ishak’s death. We can see landlords investing more into repairs, using new technology and changing the culture of housing management. Those landlords should be recognised for the steps they have taken to make homes better in this vital sector.

“Despite this progress, we still repeatedly find significant and preventable failings in handling potential health hazards in homes. We find some landlords not taking full responsibility, communicating poorly and making basic errors. Around half of our casework still concerns damp and mould.”

In the most recent English Survey across social housing, damp problems were found in 7% of social homes throughout 2023-24, which was an increase of 3% since 2019. The same survey estimated upwards of 90,000 homes across the West Midlands failed to meet health and safety and decency standards, of which 30,000 are social homes, owned by councils or housing associations.