Awaab's Law and private landlords: what's confirmed, what's coming

Awaab's Law sets strict, legally-binding timescales for landlords to investigate and fix serious hazards like damp and mould. It's in force for social housing from October 2025. For the private rented sector, the Renters' Rights Act contains the power to extend it, but no start date has been set, so it doesn't yet apply to private landlords.

What Awaab's Law requires

Named after Awaab Ishak, who died from prolonged exposure to mould, the law replaces vague reasonable-time obligations with hard deadlines. For social landlords it phases in from October 2025: emergency hazards must be addressed within 24 hours, and damp and mould must be investigated within set working-day timescales, with written findings and any safety work done to a clock rather than at leisure.

Where private landlords stand

For private landlords, the honest answer is: not yet, but it's coming. The Renters' Rights Act includes the legal hook to extend Awaab's Law to the private rented sector, but the government has said it will consult on the detail and the timescales in due course. Any date you may have seen quoted for private landlords is speculation, not confirmed policy. So there's nothing to comply with today, but the direction is clear.

What sensible landlords are doing anyway

Even without a date, the smart move is to treat damp, mould and disrepair reports seriously and promptly, because it's good practice, it protects tenants, and it gets you into the habit before any rules land. Gas and heating tie into this directly: poor heating and ventilation are common contributors to damp, so an annual gas safety check, working ventilation and a reliable boiler are part of keeping a home healthy, not just compliant.