What is Awaab’s Law and what does it mean for me?
Introduced for social housing landlords in England in October 2025, Awaab’s Law is designed to protect residents’ health and safety from serious hazards, such as damp and mould. It places greater responsibility and strict timelines on social housing providers. This law follows the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020. The Ishak family repeatedly raised concerns about mould in their Rochdale home with their landlord. Tragically, after landlord mismanagement and neglect, Awaab passed away from a severe respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to black mould. His death highlighted the serious health risks that can arise when damp and mould are not properly identified and addressed.
Following this, the government introduced Awaab’s Law to prevent tragedies like this. Awaab’s Law creates specific legal requirements for social housing landlords, including requirements around investigating hazards, communicating with residents and carrying out necessary repairs.
The legislation is being introduced in phases, with the first phase focusing on emergency hazards and significant damp and mould hazards. Further phases will extend the requirements to additional hazards found within the home.
At Reliance Social Housing, we embrace and continue to uphold Awaab’s Law. We are committed to providing safe, well-maintained homes and making sure residents know how to report concerns about their accommodation.
Read on to find out more about your rights, timescales we are committed to, signs to watch out for, and how to report damp and mould.
QUICK GUIDE
Jump to a section
What is damp and mould? Why is it dangerous?
Damp is the excess build up of moisture inside a property and mould can shortly follow as a fungus that grows in those wet areas. It can appear in building materials, such as walls, floors, ceilings, or property furnishings, like carpets, curtains, wallpaper, furniture and clothing.
Damp and mould can happen for various reasons, including drying laundry inside, cooking without lids, showering without ventilation, blocking air vents, and leaving the heating off in cold conditions. We recognise that these circumstances can affect any household and take a supportive, non-judgemental approach when addressing damp and mould.
Instead, we focus on addressing damp and mould as quickly as possible because of the serious risks it can pose to your health. It can cause airway irritation and make breathing difficult. This can feel like persistent coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath. It can also trigger new illnesses and can aggravate existing illnesses and conditions, such as asthma, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This can also look like allergies, skin flares and eye irritation. Damp and mould can also increase your risk of airway infections. Underlying all of this, damp and mould can also impact your mental health from prolonged stress, anxiety, low mood, and disruptions to your daily routines.
What do I do after I notice it?
If you notice a problem in your home, you need to report it to your Managing Agent as soon as possible. Awaab’s Law’s timescales come into effect as soon as you report the issue, not when the damp and mould appeared. Their contact details are found on your noticeboard, licence agreement, or you can reach out to your Support Worker. If you’re a social housing resident, contact your Social Housing Officer, found in your Welcome Pack.
When making a report, provide as much information as you can. This could include:
- Where the damp or mould is located
- When you first noticed it
- Whether it is getting worse
- Whether there are leaks or water damage
- Whether the issue has been reported previously
- Whether it is affecting your use of the room or your wellbeing
EMERGENCY HAZARD
Immediate action
- Investigate and carry out works to make the property safe within 24 hours.
- If the property cannot be made safe in this timeframe, the Managing Agent must offer suitable alternative accommodation immediately.
SIGNIFICANT HAZARD
Clear next steps
- Investigate the hazard within 10 working days.
- Provide a written summary of the findings within 3 working days after the investigation.
- Begin remedial safety work physically within 5 working days of issuing the report.
- Begin complex, longer-term supplementary works to prevent the hazard from recurring. This will depend on your individual case and will be carried out under legal guidelines. Your health will be a priority throughout this process.
Report any concerns to us. You do not need to decide whether a problem meets the legal definition of a hazard under Awaab’s Law. Once you report an issue, we will investigate and carry out any required actions within the relevant timescales.
I reported it and damp and mould are still there. What do I do?
We understand that damp and mould can be frustrating, especially if you have already reported it and the issue remains. Every case is different, and the approach taken can depend on the nature of the problem, the investigation, and any specialist works. In some cases, damp and mould can be particularly persistent and may take more than one visit or repair to fully resolve.
Regardless, if you are still experiencing damp and mould after reporting it, please contact Reliance Social Housing.
We will review your case and check what actions have already been taken. We will also deploy a member of our Community Liaison Team to assess the affected area of the property and to do a wellbeing check. We will work with you to ensure the issue is properly addressed and resolved. This can look like a more thorough investigation, further remedial work or bringing a specialist in.
Your health and wellbeing are important to us, and we are committed to taking concerns about damp and mould seriously.
How is Reliance Social Housing preparing for Awaab’s Law?
At Reliance Social Housing, resident safety is central to our approach.
Awaab’s Law reinforces the importance of having strong processes for identifying housing hazards, responding to reports and making sure concerns are followed through appropriately. We are committed to this process and endeavour to go beyond minimum expectations.
As further phases of Awaab’s Law come into effect, we are continuing to review our processes, strengthen compliance checks and work closely with our Managing Agents, support teams and other partners. This includes delivering staff training, maintaining appropriate standards across our homes and ensuring that potential hazards are identified, reported and escalated where necessary.
For us, preparing for Awaab’s Law is about continuing to build a housing service where residents feel safe, concerns are taken seriously and issues are dealt with appropriately.
NEED SUPPORT?
