Your Awaab's Law compliance kit.
A free, plain-English handout a social landlord can give to a tenant. It explains what Awaab's Law means for damp and mould, the legal deadlines your landlord must meet, how to report a problem, and what you can expect. Print it or save it as a PDF. Every figure is sourced from the legislation and GOV.UK.
Designed to print as a tidy A4 handout for your tenants.
What is Awaab's Law?
Awaab's Law gives social landlords legal deadlines to deal with damp, mould and other serious hazards in your home, so problems can no longer be left unresolved.
Awaab's Law is named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in his home. It sets strict time limits for landlords to act once a hazard is reported.
The rules came into force for social landlords (councils and housing associations) in England on 27 October 2025. The first phase covers damp and mould, plus all emergency hazards. This kit explains, in plain English, what that means for you as a tenant and what you can expect your landlord to do.
The legal deadlines your landlord must meet
Once you report a possible damp or mould hazard, these are the deadlines that apply. They are counted in working days unless stated otherwise.
If a hazard is an emergency (a significant and imminent risk to your health or safety), your landlord must investigate and make it safe as soon as reasonably practicable, and no later than 24 hours after finding out about it.
Once your landlord knows about a possible significant damp or mould hazard, they have up to 10 working days to investigate and work out whether a hazard exists.
After the investigation, your landlord must give you a written summary of what they found within 3 working days of the investigation finishing.
If a significant hazard is confirmed, the work to make your home safe must be completed within 5 working days of the investigation, or your landlord must arrange suitable alternative accommodation, at their expense, until it is done.
Source: The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1042). legislation.gov.uk
How to report a damp or mould problem
The clearer your report, the easier it is for your landlord to act, and the better your record if you ever need it. Work through this simple checklist.
Describe the problem clearly
Say exactly what you can see or smell: for example, black mould in the corner of a bedroom, damp patches, peeling paint, or a musty smell.
Note where and when
Write down which rooms are affected, when you first noticed it, and whether it is getting worse. Note anything that seems to make it worse (for example after showering or drying clothes indoors).
Take photos
Photograph the affected areas, close up and from further back. Date-stamped photos are ideal. Keep taking new ones as things change.
Report it in writing
Report the problem to your landlord in writing (by email, letter or their online portal) so there is a clear record of when you told them. A phone call alone is harder to prove later.
Keep a record
Save copies of everything: your report, any reference number, replies, photos and dates. Keep a simple diary of what happens and when.
What to expect once you have reported it
Under Awaab's Law, these are the things your landlord must do. If a deadline is missed, keep your records: they show you followed the right process.
Your landlord must investigate
Once you report a possible damp or mould hazard, your landlord cannot ignore it. They must look into it within 10 working days and decide whether there is a hazard.
You must be told the findings
You are entitled to a written summary of the investigation within 3 working days of it finishing, including what they found and what they plan to do.
Confirmed hazards must be made safe
If a significant hazard is confirmed, make-safe work must be finished within 5 working days of the investigation. Emergencies must be made safe within 24 hours.
Alternative accommodation if needed
If your home cannot be made safe in time, your landlord must arrange suitable alternative accommodation, at their own expense, until it can be.
Tackling the cause of damp, not just the surface
Most damp and mould comes down to humid air and moisture with nowhere to go. Active Vent makes wind-powered vents designed to keep air (and moisture) moving through the wall whenever there's wind, so it can dry out instead of staying wet and cold. There is no motor, no electricity and nothing for you to switch on.
Wiping or painting over mould only clears the symptom for a few weeks. Where trapped moisture is the cause, better airflow is designed to help reduce it. Damp has several causes, such as leaks and plumbing faults, and some of them ventilation can't fix.
Where these facts come from
- › The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1042)
- › Awaab's Law: guidance for social landlords, timeframes for repairs in the social rented sector (GOV.UK)
Scope: this kit covers Awaab's Law for social housing in England (in force since 27 October 2025). Different rules apply in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and to private tenancies; see "The rules where you are" on the Awaab's Law hub.
Whilst we have done our due diligence to research, locate and cite accurate data for this kit, it is provided as general guidance only and is not legal advice. Housing law differs across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and changes over time, and other sources may interpret it differently, so we cannot guarantee it is complete or current for your situation. Always check the legislation that applies to your location and seek your own independent legal advice before relying on it.
Share this kit with your landlord
Damp or mould at home? Send your landlord this plain-English guide to the Awaab's Law timescales, so you're both working from the same facts.