24
hours
Emergency hazards
Investigate and make safe within 24 hours of becoming aware.
Compliance, in plain English
Awaab's Law.
The moment anyone in your organisation learns about damp or mould in a home, a legal clock starts. Awaab's Law sets the deadlines. It applies to social landlords in England, and it has been in force since 27 October 2025. This page explains what you must do, and by when - in plain English, with every fact linked to its official source in our source library. (The law itself is Section 42 of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.)
The 60-second answer
- Investigate emergency hazards and make them safe.24hrs
- Investigate damp and mould hazards.10working days
- Send written findings to the resident.3working days
- Complete the safety work.5working days
Can't finish the work in time? The landlord pays for suitable alternative accommodation until it's done.
The statute
What the law actually says.
Three pieces of legislation fit together. You don't need to memorise them - you need to know which one holds the deadlines.
01
The Act
Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023
Section 42 is what everyone calls Awaab's Law. It doesn't spell out the deadlines itself - it creates the power to set them.
02
The promise
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
Section 42 inserts new Sections 10A and 10B: a built-in promise in every social tenancy that the landlord will meet all the rules the government sets for dealing with hazards. (The law calls these the "prescribed requirements" - they are the deadlines on this page.)
03
The clock
The 2025 Regulations
The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 - in force 27 October 2025 - set the actual deadlines.
Awaab Ishak was a two-year-old who died in December 2020 of a severe respiratory condition caused by prolonged mould exposure in his family's flat. The coroner's inquest concluded in November 2022, and the government announced the law that carries his name in February 2023.
Scope
Who is in scope today.
In force now
All social landlords in England.
Registered providers, housing associations, council landlords, and ALMOs (the arm's-length companies some councils use to run their homes) - for almost every social tenancy. If you manage social housing in England, the clock is already running.
Next - date not yet set
Private landlords are next.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 extends Awaab's Law to the private rented sector. The commencement date is still subject to consultation - but the NRLA is already telling private landlords to prepare. The question is when, not whether.
The clock
The four deadlines.
The clock starts when you find out - a tenant phone call, a housing officer's note, a contractor's photo all count. It does not wait for you to log a case or book an inspection. Each deadline below is in working days, from the official government guidance.
10
working days
Significant hazards
Investigate within 10 working days of becoming aware. Damp and mould sits here.
3
working days
Written summary
To the resident within 3 working days of the investigation concluding.
5
working days
Relevant safety work
Finish the repairs the investigation says are needed, within 5 working days - or pay for somewhere else for the resident to stay until it is done.
Enforcement
Who holds you to it.
If a deadline is missed, three different people can hold you to it - and all three routes are already open.
01
The Regulator of Social Housing
Enforces the Safety and Quality Standard - the rule that social homes must be safe and well kept, in force since 1 April 2024. The Regulator aims to inspect landlords with 1,000 or more social homes at least once every four years.
02
The Housing Ombudsman
Handles resident complaints under a statutory code. In 2024-25 it issued 7,082 determinations - over 40% of compensation ordered was for leaks, damp and mould, and the largest single order was around £32,000.
03
The resident themselves
Can take the landlord to court directly. Awaab's Law adds a promise to every social tenancy that the home will be free of these hazards - break it, and the resident can claim like any other repair the landlord owes. The landlord's defence is showing it used 'all reasonable endeavours' to comply.
Frequently asked
Answers, with sources.
The questions landlords ask the most - answered in two or three sentences. The full set of primary sources lives in the source library.
From law to operations
MouldWatch turns Awaab's Law into a workflow.
Sensors catch risk weeks before mould is visible. Each alert arrives with the legal deadline already counting. Field teams finish the job. Every step is time-stamped, so you can prove what you did and when.