Awaabs Law moves a step close to being introduced

On 6 February 2025, Angela Rayner and Matthew Pennycook issued a written statement confirming that the long-anticipated regulations which will effectively implement Awaab's Law, will be laid before Parliament as soon as possible, and will come into force in October this year. 

The statement explained that Awaab’s Law will be introduced through a phased approach to ensure it is applied as effectively as possible. What this will look like is as follows:

• From October 2025 social landlords will have to address damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm to tenants within fixed timescales.
• As well as addressing damp and mould, from October 2025 social landlords will also have to address all emergency repairs including repairs for damp and mould or other hazards as soon as possible and within no longer than 24 hours in any event;
• Thereafter, in 2026, the requirements will be expanded to apply to a wider range of hazards. So, in addition to damp and mould, the Government expects that the hazards will be extended to include excess cold and excess heat, falls, structural collapse, fire, electrical and explosions, and hygiene hazards;
• Finally,  in 2027, the requirements of Awaab’s Law will expand to the remaining hazards as defined by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Social landlords will be pleased to note that overcrowding is excluded from this final implementation and so it will not fall within the scope of Awaab's Law. 

The Government's thinking behind the phased approach is to ensure that Awaab's Law is applied as effectively as possible. This means that the protections the law provides in relation to damp and mould will be introduced quickly, which the Government says would not have been possible if it had applied the law to a wider group of hazards from the outset. This will also then allow the Government to "test and learn so that the reforms benefit social tenants and secure the lasting legacy that Awaab Isaak’s family have fought so hard for".

The statement stressed that social landlords must continue to fix dangerous issues in their homes before Awaab’s Law is fully implemented : " They already have a duty to keep their homes fit for human habitation and to remedy disrepair, and they must also ensure that their homes meet the Decent Homes Standard. Awaab’s Law will set clearer and stronger laws to ensure that tenants are living in safe homes." 

In relation to implementation in the private rented sector, Matthew Pennycook has stated that in the coming month, the Government will introduce powers through the Renters’ Rights Bill to extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector. However, he went on to say that the Government will consult on how to apply Awaab’s Law to privately rented homes in a way that works for the sector and in a way that is fair and proportionate for tenants and landlords.

The Government statement in full.