Health and safety expert highlights Awaab’s Law for social housing landlords
Swindon-based health and safety consultancy Secure Safety Solutions is highlighting legislation designed to strengthen protection for social housing tenants.
With families preparing for winter, social housing tenants may be concerned about the threat of mould, cold and other hazards.
Andrew Wilkinson, Founder of Secure Safety Solutions, is making clients aware of Awaab’s Law, posthumously named after Awaab Ishak. Two-year-old Awaab died in 2020 due to a severe respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his home, which the landlord failed to act on.
The legislation aims to prevent landlords from putting tenants at risk by failing to make necessary repairs in within specified timescales. The legislation was introduced in 2025 and is being expanded in phases to cover a wider range of housing hazards.
The hazards covered in the 2026 extension include: excessive cold and heat; falls associated with bath-level surfaces, stairs and between levels; structural collapse; explosions; fire; electrical hazards; and domestic, personal hygiene and food safety.
Andrew said, “It is a really important change because it puts clear deadlines around dealing with serious damp, mould and emergency hazards, rather than allowing problems to drift on for months.
“Poor housing conditions are not limited to damp and mould. Excess cold or heat, unsafe stairs, electrical faults, fire risks, structural defects and poor hygiene conditions can all seriously affect people’s health and safety.
“Extending the law means landlords need to take these risks seriously and act quickly where there is a significant danger.”
Andrew has highlighted three specific reforms social housing landlords should pay close attention to:
- Emergency hazards must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours.
- Significant damp and mould hazards must be investigated within 10 working days and made safe within five working days of the investigation being completed.
- Landlords must provide a written summary of their findings and planned action, and the focus should be on fixing the underlying cause, not simply cleaning or painting over mould.
Awaab’s Law will be further extended in 2027, bringing regulations in line with all remaining Housing Health and Safety Rating System hazards (apart from overcrowding) where they present significant risk of harm.
Andrew added, “Awaab’s Law creates clearer responsibilities for landlords, gives tenants a better understanding of what they can expect, and should improve accountability when hazards are reported.
“The real test will be how consistently landlords identify issues, communicate with residents and complete effective repairs.
“The further expansion planned for 2027 should provide a more complete safety net. This could include risks such as carbon monoxide, asbestos, water quality, lighting, noise and unsafe access or security.
“There needs to be stronger prevention duties, better data on repeat repairs and damp and mould cases, more support for vulnerable residents, and clearer consequences where landlords repeatedly fail to act. There is also a strong case for making sure protection is consistently effective for private renters as well as social tenants.
“Awaab’s Law is a welcome step, but it needs proper resources, competent people and a genuine willingness to listen to tenants if it is going to deliver the change intended.
“Good compliance should not just be about meeting a deadline; it should mean preventing the problem from coming back.”
