Awaab’s Law: Plan to make social landlords fix mould in force from October

From October, social landlords – generally the local council or a housing association – will also be required to repair all emergency hazards within 24 hours.

Timescales for investigating other hazards will be set out in the government’s response to a consultation, at a later date.

However, previous proposals under the Conservatives suggested social landlords should be required to investigate and provide a timeline for repair within 14 days of being made aware of the hazard.

Under those proposals, if there is a significant risk to health or safety repair works must begin within 7 days.

Landlords who fail to comply face being taken to court and ordered to pay compensation.

In a written ministerial statement, external, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the phased approach allowed protections from damp and mould to be brought in earlier and enabled an initial period of testing to ensure the changes were implemented effectively.

In 2026, timeframes for non-emergency repairs will apply to a wider range of hazards including excess cold and heat, structural collapse, fire, electrical faults and hygiene hazards.

Then in 2027, this will be expanded to the remaining hazards listed in regulations, external, excluding overcrowding.

The government stressed that this “in no way means that social landlords have any leeway when it comes to meeting their existing duties to address dangers to health and safety present in their homes”.

Social landlords already have a duty to keep their homes fit for human habitation and free of hazards.