The short answer
Awaab's Law is set to apply to private landlords in England. On 9 October 2026 the government opened a consultation on extending Awaab's Law to private rented tenancies and some licences. You would have fixed deadlines to investigate hazards and make homes safe. The starting assumption is the social housing timescales: 24 hours for an emergency hazard, 10 working days to investigate a significant hazard and 5 working days to make it safe.
None of this is law yet. The consultation closes at 11.59pm on 18 December 2026, and the earliest start would be 2027. Use the time to check that you can show when each repair was reported, investigated and fixed.
Key facts
- The government published the consultation on 9 October 2026, and it runs until 11.59pm on 18 December 2026. It covers England only. GOV.UK
- The proposal covers all 21 Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) hazards except crowding and space, not only damp and mould. GOV.UK
- The requirements would become an implied term of the tenancy, so tenants could take landlords to court, and courts could order repairs, compensation or costs. GOV.UK
- Where a letting agent manages the property, the consultation says the landlord "would remain ultimately liable" for meeting the requirements. GOV.UK
- The earliest feasible start is 2027. The government's impact assessment assumes the rules will be phased in during 2028, 2029 and 2030. GOV.UK
What is Awaab's Law?
Awaab Ishak was two years old when he died in 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his family's social rented home in Rochdale. Awaab's Law, named after him, has applied to social landlords since 27 October 2025. It sets legal deadlines for dealing with damp, mould and emergency hazards, and it extends to more hazards in later phases.
The government plans to use powers in sections 60 and 61 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 to bring the same kind of rules to private rented homes.
What deadlines would private landlords have?
The consultation asks which timescales private landlords should have. Most of the options match the social sector, and the impact assessment assumes the private rented rules will mirror them.
- Emergency hazard, investigate and make safe: 24 hours in social housing; options of 12, 24 or 48 hours
- Investigate a significant hazard: 10 working days in social housing; options of 5, 10 or 15 working days
- Written summary to the tenant after the investigation: 3 working days in social housing; options of 1, 3 or 5 working days
- Make a significant hazard safe: 5 working days in social housing; options of 3, 5 or 10 working days
- Physically start bigger preventative works: within 12 weeks in social housing; the consultation asks whether to allow the same 12 weeks
The final numbers may change once the consultation closes, so treat these as a planning guide, not fixed rules.
Which hazards does it cover?
The proposal covers all HHSRS hazards except crowding and space. Besides damp and mould, that includes hazards such as excess cold, electrical hazards, fire, and falls on stairs or between levels.
Hazards caused by the tenant breaching their tenancy would be excluded. The consultation says guidance would make clear that this does not let landlords dismiss damp and mould as a "lifestyle" problem.
The law would apply where there is a significant hazard (a significant risk of harm) or an emergency hazard (an imminent and significant risk of harm). The consultation asks whether landlords should judge the risk against the actual household, such as a young child or a disabled tenant, as social landlords do, or against the generic HHSRS risk.
What happens if a landlord misses a deadline?
Because the requirements would be an implied term of every tenancy, a tenant could bring a breach of contract claim. A court could order repairs and award compensation or costs. Tenants could also complain to the new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman, which landlords are expected to join from 2028.
Councils would not enforce Awaab's Law directly. They keep their existing HHSRS powers, including a new civil penalty of up to £7,000 for failing to remedy a Category 1 hazard.
Social landlords have a defence if they took all reasonable steps and the failure was genuinely beyond their control. The consultation is considering a similar defence for private landlords.
Does using a letting agent change anything?
No, not for liability. The consultation says the landlord would remain ultimately liable even when an agent manages the property, and suggests landlords may need to update their agent contracts so they can be confident the deadlines are met.
If you use an agent, check now how quickly they pass repair reports on to you, who arranges inspections, and what written record you would get.
Will landlords have to find alternative accommodation?
Social landlords must arrange suitable temporary accommodation, at their own cost, if they cannot make a home safe in time. The consultation recognises concerns about cost and availability in the private rented sector, and asks whether this duty should apply to private landlords at all. No decision has been made.
How to prepare your records
Most landlords already arrange repairs. Under Awaab's Law the hard part would be proving you met each deadline. For every property, you would want to be able to show:
1. When the hazard was reported
Record the date and time of every repair report, how it reached you and what the tenant described. Photos from the tenant help you judge urgency.
2. When it was investigated, and by whom
Note who inspected, when, and what they found. The consultation asks whether investigators need particular qualifications, so keep their details too.
3. What you told the tenant
Keep a copy of the written summary you sent: whether a hazard was found, what you plan to do, the target dates and how the tenant can contact you.
4. When it was made safe and fixed
Record the dates of temporary measures, contractor bookings and completed works, plus the tenant's confirmation that the problem is resolved.
5. Any access problems
If a tenant cannot give access, write down each attempt and date. The consultation lists access as a practical challenge it is still considering.
Portfoliq can help keep this trail in one place. Tenants report repairs with photos through their portal, and each step from first report to completion is logged with the date. You can see how Portfoliq works. It does not tell you whether a hazard meets the legal threshold or replace professional advice.
What to do next
- Read the consultation and respond before 11.59pm on 18 December 2026 if you want to influence the deadlines.
- Check that you could show the date of every repair request from the last 12 months.
- Agree with any letting agent how quickly repair reports reach you and what records they keep.
- Make sure tenants know how to report a repair, and that reports reach you quickly.
- Deal with known damp, mould and Category 1 hazards now. Councils can already act on them.
This article is general information, not legal advice. The timescales are proposals and may change before any regulations are made.