Awaab's Law for Landlords: New Repair Time Limits

Fri 16 Oct 2026

If you rent out a home in England, there is an important consultation you should know about. The Government wants to extend Awaab's Law to private rented homes. This would mean landlords have fixed deadlines to look into and fix serious hazards, such as damp and mould.

Nothing has changed for private landlords yet. But the plans give a clear idea of what could be coming, so it is worth getting familiar with them now.

What is Awaab's Law?

Awaab's Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who died in 2020 after long exposure to mould in his family's social housing flat in Rochdale. His family had complained about the mould many times, but it was not properly dealt with.

The law was brought in to make sure landlords act quickly when a home has a serious health and safety problem. It already applies to social housing, such as council homes and housing association properties. Now the Government wants the same kind of rules to cover private rented homes too.

What is the Government proposing?

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government opened the consultation on 9 October 2026. It closes at 11.59 pm on 18 December 2026. You can read the full proposals on the GOV.UK page for extending Awaab's Law to private rented tenancies.

The starting point is the set of rules already used in social housing. Under the plans, landlords would need to:

investigate a possible serious hazard within a set number of days
send the tenant a written summary of what they found
make the home safe within a fixed time
deal with emergencies within 24 hours
offer somewhere else to stay if the home cannot be made safe in time

The proposed deadlines at a glance

The table below shows the main time limits being suggested. The Government is also asking whether some of these should be shorter or longer, so the final rules could look a little different.

What the landlord must do	Proposed deadline	Other options being considered
Investigate a possible significant hazard	10 working days	5 or 15 working days
Give the tenant a written summary of findings	3 working days after the investigation	1 or 5 working days
Make a significant hazard safe	5 working days	3 or 10 working days
Start extra work to stop the problem coming back	5 working days	3 or 10 working days
Start work that cannot begin within 5 days	Within 12 weeks	Still under discussion
Investigate and make safe an emergency hazard	Within 24 hours	12 or 48 hours
Offer alternative accommodation	If the home cannot be made safe in time	Level of support still under discussion

A written summary would not be needed if all the work is finished within the three-day window.

Which hazards would be covered?

The plans would cover the hazards in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, often called HHSRS. This is the system councils already use to judge whether a home is safe. There are 21 hazards on the list, and all of them would be included apart from overcrowding, because overcrowding is not usually caused by the condition of the building.

Damp and mould is one of the biggest concerns. Other examples include problems with heating, electrics, gas, fire safety and anything that could cause a fall.

The rules would apply to two levels of hazard:

Significant hazards, where there is a serious risk to the health or safety of the people living there
Emergency hazards, where there is a serious risk that could cause harm very soon

What about alternative accommodation?

This is one of the bigger questions in the consultation. If a home cannot be made safe within five working days for a significant hazard, or within 24 hours for an emergency, the landlord may have to find the tenant somewhere else to stay.

The Government admits this could be hard for smaller landlords, many of whom own just one property. It is asking for views on how much support landlords should have to give in these cases.

Are there any exceptions?

Yes, a few. The proposals say:

Hazards caused by the tenant breaking their tenancy agreement would not count. However, guidance would make clear that landlords cannot simply blame damp and mould on how a tenant lives.
Leasehold flats are being looked at separately. Where the freeholder is responsible for a problem, such as a leaking roof, landlords may be asked to take reasonable steps to get the freeholder to fix it.
A reasonable steps defence would be available. If a landlord did everything they reasonably could, but something outside their control stopped them meeting a deadline, this could be taken into account.

How would the rules be enforced?

Awaab's Law would become part of every tenancy agreement by law. This means a tenant could take their landlord to court if the deadlines were not met. A court could order repairs, compensation and some legal costs.

Tenants would also be able to complain to the new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman, which landlords are expected to have to join in 2028. Councils would keep their existing powers too, including fines of up to £7,000 for failing to deal with the most serious hazards.

These plans sit alongside the other big changes landlords are already dealing with under the Renters' Rights Act, so it is a good time to check your paperwork and processes are up to date.

When could this start?

There is no start date for private landlords yet. The Government says the timing will depend on what it hears back from the consultation. For comparison, the next stage of Awaab's Law for social housing is due to begin on 30 November 2026.

What can landlords do now?

Even though the rules are not final, there are some sensible steps you can take today:

Respond to the consultation. Your views can help shape how the rules work for private landlords. The GOV.UK page explains how to take part online, by email or by post.
Make it easy for tenants to report problems. A clear way to log repairs, and a record of when you replied, will be very useful if fixed deadlines come in.
Build a list of trusted tradespeople. Quick deadlines are much easier to meet if you already know who to call for damp, heating or electrical work.
Carry out regular inspections. Spotting early signs of damp, leaks or poor ventilation can stop small issues turning into serious hazards.
Think about extra support. A fully managed lettings service can take care of repairs, inspections and record-keeping for you, which helps if deadlines become stricter.

Frequently asked questions

Does Awaab's Law apply to private landlords now?

No. At the moment it only applies to social housing. The Government is consulting on extending it to private rented homes, but no start date has been set.

When does the consultation close?

The consultation closes at 11.59 pm on 18 December 2026.

Will I have to pay for my tenant to stay somewhere else?

Possibly, if a home cannot be made safe within the deadline. The Government is still asking how much support landlords should have to give, so this part could change.

What if a tenant causes the damp or mould?

Hazards caused by a tenant breaking their tenancy agreement would not be covered. But landlords would still need to investigate properly and could not simply blame the tenant's lifestyle.

Need help staying on top of the changes?

Rules for landlords are changing fast, and Awaab's Law could add another layer of responsibility. If you let a property in Benfleet, Hockley or the surrounding areas and want advice on keeping your home safe and compliant, our team is here to help. Find out more about our support for landlords or get in touch for a friendly chat.