Glossary · UK
What is Awaab's Law?
Legal requirement, named after Awaab Ishak, forcing social (and increasingly private) landlords in England to investigate and fix dangerous hazards like damp and mould within strict fixed timescales.
Full Definition
Awaab's Law is named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his family's social housing flat in Rochdale. Introduced through the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 and brought in via secondary legislation and updated tenancy terms, it sets strict statutory timescales for social landlords to investigate and fix hazards such as damp, mould, excess cold, and other serious health and safety risks identified under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System — for example, requiring an initial investigation within a fixed number of working days of a hazard being reported, with emergency repairs required even faster. The rules are being phased in, first covering damp and mould hazards in social housing from 2025, before extending to a wider range of hazards and, separately, being extended to the private rented sector as part of the Renters' Rights Act reforms. Landlords who fail to meet the timescales can face legal claims from tenants and regulatory enforcement by the Regulator of Social Housing.