Awaab's Law: The Real Costs of Non-Compliance

When the Bill Arrives: Understanding the True Cost of Awaab’s Law Non-Compliance

Most conversations about Awaab’s Law focus on the human story behind it, and rightly so. The death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020, caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his Rochdale home, should never have happened. But if you’re a social landlord or housing manager, there’s another conversation to have: what non-compliance actually costs.

Awaab’s Law came into force on 27 October 2025. It introduced legally binding timescales for social landlords in England to deal with significant damp and mould hazards and emergency hazards. A common assumption is that it comes with a schedule of fines. It doesn’t. There is no fixed fine schedule and no prosecution regime under these regulations. The consequences come through three other routes, set out in the government’s guidance for social landlords:

1. Tenant claims for breach of contract. The requirements are implied into the tenancy, so tenants can take legal action through the courts if their landlord does not comply.
2. Housing Ombudsman complaints. The Ombudsman investigates complaints against social landlords and can make findings and orders.
3. Regulatory scrutiny. The Regulator of Social Housing oversees landlords against its consumer standards, including the Safety and Quality Standard.

This article explains each route, and why prevention is usually the cheaper option.

Key Takeaways

• No fine schedule: Awaab’s Law does not set fixed penalties. The consequences come from tenant claims, Housing Ombudsman remedies and regulatory scrutiny.

• Breach of contract: The requirements are an implied term of the tenancy, so tenants can bring a claim if a landlord fails to comply.

• Ombudsman remedies: Where the Ombudsman finds service failure, maladministration or severe maladministration, it can order apologies, specific actions, policy reviews, staff training and compensation.

• Regulatory scrutiny: The Regulator of Social Housing expects an accurate understanding of stock condition and a timely repairs service.

• Prevention is the better investment: Finding and fixing the causes of damp reduces repeat reports, and every repeat report restarts the obligations.

Who Decides the Consequences? The Courts, the Ombudsman and the Regulator

The courts. Because Awaab’s Law requirements are implied into social tenancies, a tenant whose landlord misses the timescales can bring a claim for breach of contract. What a court awards depends on the facts of each case.

The Housing Ombudsman. When tenants complain about unresolved damp, mould or other hazards, the Housing Ombudsman can investigate. Its guidance on remedies explains that it classifies findings as service failure, maladministration or severe maladministration, and that its remedies can include an apology, specific action the landlord must take, a review of policies or procedures, staff training and financial compensation. The guidance sets out compensation ranges by severity, from £50–£100 for service failure with minimal impact, up to £1,000 or more for severe maladministration with severe long-term impact.

The Regulator of Social Housing. The Regulator’s Safety and Quality Standard requires registered providers to have “an accurate, up to date and evidenced understanding of the condition of their homes” and to provide “an effective, efficient and timely repairs, maintenance and planned improvements service”. Repeated failures to meet Awaab’s Law timescales are evidence the Regulator may take into account.

The real deterrent is the combination: the cost of putting things right, the time spent on complaints and claims, and the published findings that follow.

Long-Term Gains: The Case for Prevention

The financial case for prevention goes beyond avoiding claims.

A proactive programme might include regular ventilation checks, planned damp inspections and early action on condensation. The aim is fewer emergency call-outs and fewer repeat reports. Every report starts a fresh set of Awaab’s Law obligations, so a property that keeps generating reports keeps generating cost.

It is also what the Regulator expects. A landlord that understands the condition of its homes and plans works accordingly is in a far stronger position than one that only reacts to complaints.

Ventilation is often part of the answer for condensation-driven damp. Approved Document F notes that “Without adequate ventilation, mould and internal air pollution might become hazardous to health.” But damp has several sources, such as leaks and plumbing faults, that ventilation can’t fix, so diagnosis comes first. Prevention isn’t just the ethical choice. It’s usually the economically rational one too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there fines under Awaab’s Law?
No. The regulations do not set a fine schedule and do not create a prosecution regime. The consequences come from tenant claims for breach of contract, Housing Ombudsman findings and orders, and scrutiny by the Regulator of Social Housing.

What can the Housing Ombudsman order?
Where it finds service failure, maladministration or severe maladministration, the Ombudsman can order remedies such as an apology, specific action, a review of policies or procedures, staff training and financial compensation. Its guidance on remedies sets out compensation ranges by severity.

What should tenants do if their landlord is not complying with Awaab’s Law?
Report the problem to the landlord in writing and keep records. If it isn’t resolved, use the landlord’s complaints process and then, if needed, complain to the Housing Ombudsman. Tenants may also seek legal advice about a claim for breach of contract.

What are the timescales landlords must meet?
Emergency hazards must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours. Significant damp and mould hazards must be investigated within 10 working days, with a written summary within 3 working days of the investigation, safety works within 5 working days, and preventative works begun within 5 working days (or physically started within 12 weeks if that is impracticable).

In this series

Part 11 of 12 in Awaab’s Law: The Complete Guide for Landlords (2026).

• ⬅ Previous: Awaab’s Law: What the Official Guidance and Ombudsman Say
• ➡ Next: Measuring Awaab’s Law Compliance: Monitoring and Continuous Improvement