Awaab’s Law is an important piece of legislation in the world of social housing which comes into effect on 27 October 2025. It will make social housing safer for everyone by ensuring that emergency hazards are responded to within shorter timeframes.
What is Awaab’s Law?
Awaab’s Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who tragically died in 2020 due to prolonged exposure to mould in his home. This was after Awaab’s family had repeatedly raised the issue and made complaints. His death highlighted glaring issues in housing legislation, and Awaab’s Law was created by the government to protect tenants and prevent future tragedies.
What is Changing?
- Emergency hazards that present immediate risk, such as gas leaks and serious damp and mould, must be made safe within 24 hours. If this cannot be achieved, then alternative safe housing must be provided for the tenants.
- Significant hazards including damp and mould must be responded to within 10 working days, and relevant safety work must be undertaken within five working days of the investigation concluding.
- A written summary of the findings must be provided within three days of an investigation.
If a landlord fails to follow this legislation, the tenant can take legal action.
What is Horton Housing Doing?
- We are upgrading our homes with better ventilation and insulation and exploring the idea of installing solar panels.
- We are adding damp and mould sensors in high-risk homes.
- We have updated our repairs system, adding a new category to track these issues.
- All colleagues will receive Awaab’s Law training which will enable them to identify safety issues and respond accordingly.
- We are arranging awareness days and creating resources to spread the word about Awaab’s Law.
We at Horton Housing are dedicated to the health and safety of our tenants, because everyone deserves to feel safe and healthy in their own home. Please report any concerns about damp, mould, and other safety hazards to us as soon as possible.
To find out more about damp and mould, and what you can do to prevent it in your home, check out our helpful guide: Preventing damp and mould in your home – Horton Housing