New damp and mould law
Awaab’s Law is a new legal requirement for all social rented landlords that came into force on 27 October 2025.
The new law, named in memory of Awaab Ishak, who sadly died in 2020 from prolonged exposure to severe mould, is designed to protect social housing residents from dangerous conditions such as damp and mould.
It means social landlords must address all emergency hazards and all damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm to residents within fixed timeframes.
Initially focused on damp and mould, the law will expand in 2026 to a wider range of hazards, including explosions, fire and electrical hazards, and domestic and personal hygiene and food safety.
We have always responded quickly to residents’ concerns about damp and mould. And, to ensure that we can always meet the requirements of Awaab’s Law, we have made some improvements to our processes.
What does Awaab’s Law mean for residents?
Clear timelines for us to investigate and put problems right
Emergency hazards
These are issues that are an imminent and significant risk to your health and safety, such as prevalent damp/mould effecting your health or a severe leak. We must:
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investigate and make your home safe within 24hours
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also begin, or take steps to begin, work to prevent an emergency or significant hazard recurring within five working days (after investigation concludes).
Significant hazards
These are problems that need to be promptly dealt with to avoid harm to your health, such as worsening mould or faulty ventilation. We must:
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investigate within 10 working days.
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Then if the investigation identifies a significant hazard, undertake relevant safety work within five working days (after investigation concludes).
Clear communication from us
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We must keep you updated throughout the process and provide information on how to keep safe.
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We must provide you with a written summary of the investigation findings within three working days (after investigation concludes).
You have legal rights
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If we cannot complete the safety work within the specified timescales, we must provide suitable alternative accommodation for the household.
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You will have a clear, legally backed process for getting hazards fixed and can take legal action if we don’t comply with the new time limits.
What we’re doing to ensure we meet the requirements of Awaab’s Law
Our maintenance surveyors have completed in-depth training. They now have the skills and equipment to assess and diagnose damp and mould issues. This means we can investigate quickly, attend in person and communicate effectively throughout the process, without the need to rely on contractors assessments.
We also have a new specialist contractor to clean and treat mould. And, we’re working with our existing maintenance contractors, who are involved in follow-up works, to improve communication.
What to do if you have a damp or mould issue
Please contact our Customer Care team as soon as possible, and let us know:
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what signs you've spotted
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where the damp is
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what you think has caused the damp, and
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if possible, please send us photos of the problem.