In this guide
Awaab's Law is the most significant change to landlord maintenance obligations in a decade. Named after a two-year-old child who died from prolonged mould exposure, it creates strict legal timeframes for investigating and fixing hazards — with a 24-hour clock that starts the moment a tenant reports an emergency. This guide covers every timeframe, what counts as an emergency, and exactly what evidence trail you need to stay compliant.
What Is Awaab's Law?
The most significant maintenance law change in a decade — now extending to private landlords
Awaab's Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who died in 2020 from prolonged exposure to mould in a social housing flat in Rochdale. The coroner's inquest found the cause of death was a respiratory condition caused by mould in the property. The law that followed bears his name.
Phase 1 of Awaab's Law applies to social landlords from October 2025. Extension to the private rented sector has been confirmed for 2026. Private landlords who are already building compliant processes now will be well ahead of enforcement when it arrives.
Why private landlords need to act now
The private sector extension is confirmed, not speculative. Building your response systems and evidence trail now means you won't be scrambling when enforcement begins.
The Response Timeframes
These are legal deadlines — not targets
Awaab's Law creates three distinct timeframe obligations depending on the type and severity of the hazard. All clocks start from the moment the report is received — not when you read it, not when you respond.
Key point: “Reasonable time” for general repairs is not defined in the legislation. Courts will determine this case by case, but 28 days is the emerging standard being applied in practice.
What Counts as an Emergency?
The 24-hour clock starts from the moment the report is received — not when you read it
The definition of “emergency hazard” under Awaab's Law covers situations where there is an immediate risk of harm to the tenant or any occupant. The following scenarios trigger the 24-hour obligation:
Structural collapse risk
Ceiling, wall, or floor showing imminent failure that could cause injury.
Severe water ingress creating electrical hazard
Water entering through roof or external walls in proximity to electrical fittings or consumer unit.
Carbon monoxide risk
CO alarm triggered, suspected faulty boiler or appliance, visible signs of combustion problems.
Complete heating failure in winter
Total loss of heating and hot water during the period October to April — leaving occupants at risk of excess cold.
Severe pest infestation creating health risk
Infestation of rats, mice, or other vermin at a level that creates an immediate hygiene or health hazard.
The clock starts when the message arrives
If a tenant messages you at 11pm reporting a gas leak, your 24-hour clock starts at 11pm — not at 9am the next morning when you check your phone. Set up Telegram alerts so you see reports immediately. LandlordAssist timestamps every incoming message at the moment of receipt.
Damp and Mould — The Detail
10 working days to investigate, then 5 working days to complete the fix
Damp and mould is the most common trigger for Awaab's Law enforcement. The threshold is “significant” damp or mould — which courts and enforcement officers will interpret as persistent visible mould on walls or ceilings, dampness causing structural deterioration, or condensation causing health hazards. Cosmetic surface mould that resolves quickly does not automatically meet this threshold, but any visible mould that a tenant reports should be treated seriously.
Important: The 5-working-day fix window runs from when the investigation is completed, not from when the report was first received. Use the full 10 working days for a thorough investigation — do not rush it and inadvertently shorten your fix window.
The Paper Trail Requirement
A verbal “I looked at it” is not sufficient evidence
Awaab's Law does not just create response timeframes — it creates an implicit evidence requirement. Enforcement officers and courts will ask you to demonstrate that you received the report, responded within the required window, investigated properly, and completed the fix. You need a paper trail for every step.
Receipt timestamp
Every tenant report must be logged with the exact time of receipt — not the time you read it. This is the start of all subsequent clocks.
Written acknowledgment
Acknowledge the report in writing — Telegram, text, or email all qualify. The acknowledgment must confirm you have received the report and state what action you will take.
Investigation documentation
Photos, written notes, and if relevant a contractor's assessment. Date-stamp every document. Record the cause of the damp or mould — not just its existence.
Completion record
Document when the fix was completed. Photos before and after. Contractor invoice or written confirmation of work done. Date of completion.
LandlordAssist logs every Telegram message with a precise timestamp.
Your Awaab's Law evidence trail builds automatically — before any issue escalates to enforcement.
Get early access — freePhase 2: Extended Hazards (2026)
Expected rollout: late 2026 — watch for the government announcement
Phase 1 of Awaab's Law covers damp, mould, and structural hazards. Phase 2, expected in late 2026, extends the same timeframe obligations to a wider range of HHSRS hazards. Landlords who have built compliant processes for Phase 1 will find Phase 2 significantly easier to manage.
Hazards covered in Phase 2
What to do now: Build your repair reporting and evidence logging systems for Phase 1 compliance. The same systems will cover Phase 2 hazards without additional setup — the legal obligation is the same, just applied to more hazard types.
What Happens If You Don't Comply
Enforcement ranges from compensation claims to criminal prosecution
Failure to meet Awaab's Law timeframes — or failure to maintain an adequate evidence trail — exposes landlords to a tiered set of consequences. The severity depends on how serious the hazard was, how far out of time the response was, and whether there is a pattern of non-compliance.
Compensation claims from tenants
Tenants can claim compensation through civil court for breach of the statutory duty created by Awaab's Law. Claims can include damages for health impacts, inconvenience, and cost of alternative accommodation.
Local authority enforcement
Local authorities can issue improvement notices requiring works within a specified period, or emergency remediation notices for immediate hazards. Failure to comply with notices is a further offence.
Criminal prosecution
The most serious cases — where a landlord has knowingly failed to address an emergency hazard — can result in criminal prosecution. From 2026, extended fines and penalties apply under the new enforcement regime.
How LandlordAssist Creates Your Evidence Trail
Automatic timestamp logging, acknowledgment templates, and a case status tracker
Awaab's Law creates a 24-hour clock that starts the moment a tenant messages you. LandlordAssist logs every Telegram message from tenants with a precise timestamp — so your evidence trail builds automatically, before any issue escalates to enforcement.
Timestamp logging
Every Telegram message from tenants is logged with the exact time of receipt. This is your Awaab's Law compliance record — automatically built with every tenant communication.
Acknowledgment templates
Pre-written acknowledgment messages that meet the written response requirement. Sent with one tap from within the platform — timestamped and stored automatically.
Investigation calendar
When a damp or mould report is logged, LandlordAssist creates a 10-working-day countdown for investigation and a 5-working-day countdown for the fix — with reminders at each stage.
Awaab's case status tracker
Every maintenance report is tracked through receipt, acknowledgment, investigation, and completion stages. If you are ever challenged, your evidence is already organised — with timestamps on every action.