The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025

This law places an obligation on landlords to deal with problems which can impact on health, including no heating (an emergency hazard). The message is that should you win a contract with a landlord/property agent, you need to be able to respond within 24 hours of it being reported.

The Regulations are also known as ‘Awaab’s Law’ in memory of 2-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died tragically in 2020 as a result of a severe respiratory condition due to prolonged exposure to mould in his home.

Awaab’s parents had complained repeatedly to their social landlord in the three years prior to Awaab’s death, but no action was taken by their social landlord to treat the mould.

Awaab’s Law came into force for the social rented sector from 27th October 2025. From this point social landlords have to address all emergency hazards and all damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm to tenants to fixed timeframes.  

Awaab’s Law requirements on social landlords

The Regulations include the following requirements for landlords:  

• Investigate any potential emergency hazards and, if the investigation confirms emergency hazards, undertake relevant safety work as soon as reasonably practicable. The investigation and the work must both take place within 24 hours of becoming aware of the hazard.
• Investigate any potential significant hazards within 10 working days of becoming aware of them.
• Produce a written summary of investigation findings and provide this to the tenant within 3 working days of the conclusion of the investigation.
• Undertake relevant safety work within 5 working days of the investigation concluding, if the investigation identifies a significant hazard.
• Begin, or take steps to begin, any supplementary preventative work to prevent a significant or emergency hazard recurring within 5 working days of the investigation concluding, if the investigation identifies a significant or emergency hazard. If steps cannot be taken to begin work in 5 working days this must be done as soon as possible, and work must be physically started within 12 weeks.

Upon becoming aware of a potential hazard, social landlords should use all available information to initially determine if the hazard is a potential significant or emergency hazard and take steps to complete relevant safety work within stated timeframes.

The timelines set under Awaab’s Law are the maximum statutory timeframes in which landlords must act.
Landlords can and should act more quickly if circumstances require, especially in situations where other legislation requires a faster response and/or according to their policies and procedures.

Where the social landlord believes there is a significant or emergency hazard

A potential hazard is reported, or the landlord becomes aware of a potential hazard. The social landlord reviews available information about the hazard and the resident’s circumstances. Based on this, they make an initial assessment to decide whether the issue is a potential ‘significant’ or ‘emergency’ hazard, or if it falls outside the scope of Awaab’s Law. This marks day zero in the Awaab’s Law timeline. 

Emergency hazard

If a potential emergency hazard is identified the landlord must investigate the issue within 24 hours. If the landlord’s emergency investigation confirms an emergency hazard, they must:

• complete all relevant safety works and make the property safe within 24 hours.

If the property cannot be made safe within 24 hours, the landlord must offer suitable alternative accommodation until the required safety works are completed.

Examples of hazards that could be emergency hazards requiring emergency action include, but are not limited to:

• gas or carbon monoxide leaks
• broken boilers
• total loss of water supply
• electrical hazards such as exposed wiring
• significant leaks
• broken external doors or windows that present a risk to home security
• prevalent damp and/or mould that is having a material impact on a tenant’s health
• significant structural defects or disrepair 

For some of these examples everyone will be potentially vulnerable, such as gas leaks.

Social landlords should also consider if the risk is likely to be exacerbated by a specific condition in relation to the tenant or other circumstances (e.g. a broken boiler is likely to be a more severe issue in colder months).

Significant hazard

If a potential significant hazard is identified, the landlord must carry out an investigation within 10 working days.
If the landlord’s investigation (completed within 10 working days) confirms a significant hazard, they must complete relevant safety works and begin to take steps to begin any further supplementary works to prevent the hazard from reoccurring within 5 working days of concluding the investigation.

Where further supplementary works are required and it is not possible to begin them within 5 working days, the landlord must start these as soon as reasonably practicable and within 12 weeks of the investigation concluding.

If the property cannot be made safe, the landlord must offer suitable alternative accommodation until the significant hazard is fully resolved.

Where the social landlord believes the issue is out of scope of Awaab’s Law

There may be occurrences where an investigation under Awaab’s Law identifies a significant or emergency hazard, but the hazard is not in scope of Awaab’s Law, for example because it is due to a deficiency in neighbouring land for which the landlord is not responsible. In these cases, the social landlord is not required under Awaab’s Law to temporarily or permanently rehouse the tenants.

Which type of housing does Awaab’s Law apply to?

Awaab’s Law applies to almost all social housing occupied under a tenancy and let by a registered provider.

The exception is for social housing occupied under a tenancy which is excepted from the repairing obligation in section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 by section 14 of that Act.

Awaab’s Law does not apply to temporary accommodation, supported accommodation, or other housing that is occupied under a licence.

Awaab’s Law does not apply to long leaseholds or other owner-occupied accommodation and low-cost home ownership homes, including shared ownership.  

Hazards in scope of Awaab’s Law repair requirements 

For a hazard to be in scope of the Awaab’s Law repair requirements, it must: 

• be a part of buildings or land for which the social landlord is responsible
• result from defects, disrepair or lack of maintenance
• be in the landlord’s control to fix
• not be damage that is a result of breach of contract by the tenant
• be a significant or emergency hazard

In 2026 the regulations will be extended to include the following where they present a significant risk of harm:

• excess cold and excess heat
• falls associated with baths etc., on level surfaces, on stairs and between levels
• structural collapse, and explosions
• fire, and electrical hazards
• domestic and personal hygiene and food safety

Further information can be found by searching ‘Awaab’s Law’ on the gov.uk website. Or scan the QR code.

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