Awaab's Law and Private Landlords: Renters' Rights Act

When a Child’s Death Changes the Law, and What It Means for Your Property

In December 2020, two-year-old Awaab Ishak died in Rochdale. At the inquest in November 2022, the coroner concluded that he died from a severe respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his home, and that action to treat and prevent the mould had not been taken (Prevention of Future Deaths report, Courts and Tribunals Judiciary). His death, and the inquest that followed, forced a reckoning that the housing sector couldn’t ignore.

The result was Awaab’s Law, a set of legally binding timescales requiring social landlords to investigate and act on damp, mould and other hazards. Under the government’s guidance, social landlords in England have had to comply since 27 October 2025: emergency hazards must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours, and significant damp and mould hazards investigated within 10 working days.

But here’s the question private landlords and letting agents are increasingly asking: is this coming for us too?

The short answer is yes, but not yet, and no start date has been set. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, provides for Awaab’s Law to be extended to the private rented sector. The government’s implementation roadmap commits to extending it, with timing still to be confirmed, and its guide to the Act says it “will consult” on how best to apply Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector.

The concern isn’t the legislation itself. It’s how many private landlords still believe this is someone else’s problem. This article sets out what Awaab’s Law requires today, what the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 provides for, the duties private landlords already have, and what you can sensibly do now.

Key Takeaways

• Awaab’s Law is enforceable for social landlords: It currently applies to social housing in England, with fixed timescales for damp and mould and emergency hazards.

• The private rented sector extension has no start date yet: The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 provides for it, but the details and timing are subject to consultation. Check GOV.UK for the current position.

• Private landlords already have legal duties: Repairing obligations under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, fitness for human habitation under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, and council enforcement under the HHSRS all apply now.

• Documentation is good practice now: Clear records of tenant reports and the action taken will help under current law and under any future regime.

• Fix causes, not just symptoms: Better ventilation and insulation are designed to help reduce condensation risk, but damp has several sources, such as leaks and plumbing faults, that need their own fixes.

Awaab’s Law Applies Now to Social Housing. Private Renting Is Next, Date to Be Confirmed

Awaab’s Law applies to registered social housing providers in England. Since 27 October 2025, social landlords have been legally required to investigate hazards, including significant damp and mould, within fixed timescales, give tenants a written summary, and carry out safety and preventative works within set periods.

Private landlords? Not yet covered by those timescales. That’s the honest answer for now.

The government has committed to extending the same principle to the private rented sector through the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Its guide to the Act says that, as for social housing, Awaab’s Law will imply terms into private tenancy agreements, and that the government will consult on how to apply it fairly and proportionately. Until regulations are made, the social-housing deadlines do not apply to private tenancies.

What Private Landlords Must Already Do

Even without Awaab’s Law, private landlords in England are not free to take their time over serious damp and mould. Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires landlords to keep the structure and exterior of the home, and installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation and heating, in repair. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 requires the home to be fit for human habitation at the start of the tenancy and throughout it, and tenants can take court action if it isn’t. Councils can also assess homes under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), where damp and mould growth is one of the listed hazards, and take enforcement action. Under these duties, repairs must be done within a reasonable time once the landlord knows about the problem, even though there is no fixed day-by-day timetable yet.

Preparing Today: Steps Private Landlords Can Take Ahead of the Law

Preparation doesn’t require waiting for regulations to land. There are practical steps you can take now that will serve you whatever the final timetable.

Start with the fabric of your properties. Improving insulation and ventilation is a sensible investment. Approved Document F is clear about why ventilation matters: “Without adequate ventilation, mould and internal air pollution might become hazardous to health” (Approved Document F, Volume 1, para 1.1). Suitable extract ventilation in bathrooms and kitchens, background ventilation such as trickle vents, and attention to cold bridging in walls and roofs are all designed to help reduce condensation risk. They won’t fix leaks or plumbing faults, which need their own repairs, so always find the cause first.

Next, build your response protocols now. If a tenant contacts you about damp, mould or any other potential hazard, how do you respond? Is there a written process? Is the report logged? Is there a timeline for investigation and follow-up? If the answer to any of those is “not really”, that’s your starting point. A simple, documented response workflow helps you meet your current duties and puts you in a good position for whatever the regulations eventually require.

It is also worth sharing official government guidance with property managers and letting agents. The people on the front line of tenant communication need to understand what’s coming and why it matters.

The landlords who will adapt most smoothly when the extension arrives are those who have already embedded better standards into how they operate, because healthy, well-maintained homes are better for everyone involved.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Awaab’s Law and how does it affect private landlords?
Awaab’s Law requires social landlords in England to deal with hazards such as significant damp and mould within fixed timescales. It does not yet apply to private landlords. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 provides for extending it to the private rented sector, but no start date has been set and the government has said it will consult on how it should apply.

How can private landlords prepare for the extension?
Make sure you are meeting your existing duties, improve insulation and ventilation where needed after finding the cause of any damp, and set up a documented process for logging and responding to tenant reports of hazards.

What are the consequences for private landlords who do not comply once the extension applies?
The consequences for the private rented sector have not yet been set out, because the regulations have not been made. Today, private landlords who fail to keep homes in repair or fit for human habitation can already face claims from tenants and enforcement by councils under the HHSRS.

Will tenants have new rights under the Renters’ Rights Act extension?
The government’s guide to the Act says Awaab’s Law will imply terms into private tenancy agreements, setting legal expectations about the timescales within which landlords must make homes safe. The detail will follow consultation.

What should private landlords do if they receive a complaint about damp or mould now?
Log the report, arrange an inspection promptly to find the cause, tell the tenant what you found and what you will do, and carry out the repair within a reasonable time. Keep records of every step.

In this series

Part 6 of 12 in Awaab’s Law: The Complete Guide for Landlords (2026).

• ⬅ Previous: Awaab’s Law Record-Keeping: Building a Defensible Compliance Trail
• ➡ Next: Awaab’s Law: When Deadlines Can’t Be Met