Awaab’s Law: What Is It, Why It Matters and What Are We Doing about it?
Awaab’s Law was introduced following the death of Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to black mould in a Rochdale Boroughwide Housing flat. The case exposed severe failings in how social landlords responded to complaints about damp and mould.
Under Awaab’s Law, which forms part of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 set out specific timeframes that landlords must meet when dealing with damp, mould, and other health-related hazards in social housing.
Timeline of current planned phases
27 October 2025 – First phase begins. Landlords must deal with emergency hazards (24hour deadline) and significant damp/mould hazards.
2026 – Expand to cover more hazard types beyond damp and mould.
2027 – All hazards covered in the Health and Housing Health and Safety Rating Standard (HHSRS) excluding overcrowding.
What It Means for Tenants
Here are the practical implications for you:
Faster responses: You should notice quicker action on serious problems like damp, mould, leaks, etc.
Clearer expectations: Because the law sets deadlines, you’ll know better when to expect investigations or repairs.
Right to alternative accommodation: If a home is unsafe to occupy while repairs are underway, we are required to offer suitable alternative housing or temporary accommodation.
Information and transparency: We will share what they found during investigations, explain the risk, what work will be done, how soon, etc.
Legal protections: If we fail to meet our legal obligations, you have legal recourse.
Changes at Arches
The new Damp, Mould and Condensation Policy and Process will be published on our website shortly. This is pending Board approval.
If You’re an Arches Tenant and you suspect you have Damp, Mould or Condensation
Report it to us here > Report Damp Mould or Condensation or by contacting our office on 0114 228 8100.
You have a legal right to know what the root cause of the damp and mould in your property is, the timeline for repairs and when the work is expected to be completed. If you feel like you are not being communicated with on these points, please tell us immediately.
Finally... It is the responsibility of all landlords to ensure that tenants live in safe and secure homes, so that tragedies like Awaab’s case never happen again. To achieve this, clear and open communication with all tenants is essential. By working together and encouraging tenants to report issues early, we can take timely action to prevent damp and mould from becoming a serious problem.
10/10/2025 12:00
