New regulations coming into force this October will compel social landlords to address hazards to tenants’ health. As part of CIOB’s Client Strategy, we explain the change and suggest how social landlords should prepare.

On 27 October 2025, the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 – commonly known as Awaab’s Law – will come into force. 

It is named in memory of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 due to prolonged exposure to mould in his home. Awaab’s parents had complained repeatedly to their social landlord, but no action was taken to treat the mould. 

Under the new regulations’ parent legislation – the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 – social housing tenancy agreements will have an implied term that requires landlords to comply with Awaab’s Law. If they don’t, named tenants can take their landlords to court for a breach of contract. Other avenues of redress are available to tenants through the social landlord complaints procedure and the Housing Ombudsman Service. 

This marks a watershed moment in health and safety for tenants and accountability for social landlords. It ushers in a fundamental shift in how health hazards are identified, responded to, and resolved – backed by statutory timeframes and enforceable duties.

Phased introduction

Awaab’s Law will require social landlords to address all emergency hazards and all damp and mould hazards from day one. Its scope will extend to include a range of additional hazards in 2026, and from 2027 will extend further to all remaining Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) hazards (other than overcrowding).

What the regulations require

Under Awaab’s Law, social landlords of almost all kinds of social housing occupied under a tenancy must:

• investigate any potential emergency hazards and, if confirmed, undertake relevant safety work as soon as reasonably practicable within 24 hours
• investigate any potential significant hazards within 10 working days of becoming aware of them
• summarise investigation findings and provide this to the named tenant within 3 working days
• if the investigation identifies a significant hazard, undertake relevant safety work within 5 working days
• if the investigation identifies a significant or emergency hazard, begin any further required works within 5 working days of the investigation concluding. If not possible, this must be done as soon as possible, and work must be physically started within 12 weeks
• satisfactorily complete works within a reasonable time period
• secure the provision of suitable alternative accommodation for the household, at the social landlord’s expense, if relevant safety work cannot be completed within specified timeframes
• keep the named tenant updated throughout the process and provide information on how to keep safe

Failure to comply may result in enforcement action by the Regulator of Social Housing or local authorities, and could expose landlords to reputational damage, legal claims, and regulatory downgrade.

If, upon investigation, the social landlord finds that there is no significant or emergency hazard then they have no further obligations under Awaab’s Law.

Also, works are subject to limited exceptions. This includes situations where, for example, the landlord cannot lawfully carry out the works because they don’t have approval from the building control authority, or where the work has arisen in breach of the tenant’s duty to use the premises in a tenant-like manner. 

Note that even though Awaab’s Law might not apply in these situations, social landlords might yet have obligations to act under other legislation or policies.

From reactive to proactive: a cultural shift

The regulations are designed to eliminate the inertia that has too often plagued responses to environmental hazards. 

Meeting the new standards will require more than just faster repairs – it demands a proactive, tenant-centred approach. 

Thus, if a tenant is particularly vulnerable to a hazard, the landlord must respond even if the hazard has not been assessed as a category 1 hazard under the HHSRS.

To comply, social landlords should now:

• Audit existing stock for known hazards, especially in older or poorly ventilated buildings.
• Strengthen reporting channels, ensuring tenants can easily raise concerns and receive timely responses.
• Train frontline staff to recognise and escalate health risks.
• Maintain records about any health vulnerabilities tenants have and that they have agreed the social landlord may record.
• Integrate housing and health data, working with NHS and local authority partners to identify vulnerable households.

This is a matter of restoring trust. Tenants need to know their concerns will be taken seriously, and that their homes will not put their health at risk.

Operational implications

The prescribed timeframes will challenge existing workflows, especially for landlords with large or complex estates. Key considerations include:

• Resource planning: does your organisation have the capacity to comply with the prescribed time windows, especially during peak demand?
• Contractor capacity: are external providers aligned with the new legal duties, and contractually bound to deliver within the required timeframes?
• Record-keeping: are you capturing dates, communications, and actions in a way that can withstand regulatory scrutiny?

Landlords should consider updating their asset management systems to flag hazard-related repairs and automate deadline tracking. Internal audit teams may also need to revise their assurance frameworks to reflect the new statutory duties.

Legal and governance considerations

Boards and executive teams must treat Awaab’s Law as a governance priority. The Regulator has made clear that failure to comply could constitute a breach of the consumer standards, with serious consequences.

Key actions should include:

• board-level oversight of hazard response performance
• clear lines of accountability for investigation and remediation.
• tenant engagement strategies that go beyond consultation to co-design

Landlords should also review their complaints procedures to ensure they align with the Housing Ombudsman’s expectations and the new regulatory framework.

Legal penalties

As far as possible, social landlords should comply with Awaab’s Law and so avoid any legal challenges. If a social landlord is found to be in breach, there are no fines, but the court can order the social landlord to:

• do the repairs
• pay compensation to the tenant, and/or
• pay some or all of the tenant’s legal costs.

Final thoughts

Compliance with Awaab’s Law will require investment, coordination, and cultural change. But the reward is profound: safer homes, healthier tenants, and a sector that lives up to its social mission. The time to act is now.

Useful reading:

• A draft version of Awaab’s Law can be found here.
• Draft guidance for landlords issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government can be found here.