Awaab’s Law – Coming on 27 October 2025

The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 were laid before Parliament on 25 June 2025 (the draft Regulations are available here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2025/9780348273083). 

These regulations, if approved, will mean that Awaab’s Law will apply to social housing providers from 27 October 2025.

The Government has also published draft non-statutory guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awaabs-law-draft-guidance-for-social-landlords/awaabs-law-draft-guidance-for-social-landlords

Emergency Hazards

An emergency hazard is a hazard which poses an imminent and significant risk of harm to the health or safety of an occupier of the property. The hazard must:

• Be any HHSRS hazard (except for a lack of adequate space for living and/or sleeping); and
• Arise from a deficiency in the property (or from any other property or land in the vicinity) for which the landlord is responsible; and
• Is not wholly or mainly attributable to the tenant’s breach of lease or any exclusion or modification ordered by the County Court under section 12 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

Under the Regulations, landlords will have 24 hours, in respect of an emergency hazard, to either conduct repairs (but not including repairs/works to cladding). 

The 24-hour deadline ceases to apply where:

• The tenant (and other occupiers) are decanted from the property before it expires; or
• The required works cannot be completed without the consent of someone else and all reasonable steps to obtain such consent have been exhausted and the consent has not been obtained; or
• A further investigation concludes that the hazard does not exist, or the works are not required.

Significant Hazards

Significant hazards are hazards which pose a significant risk of harm to the health or safety of an occupier of the property (N.B. an emergency hazard requires an ‘imminent’ and ‘significant’ risk whereas significant hazards only require ‘significant’ risk). The hazard must:

• Be associated with exposure to damp, mould or fungal growth; and
• Arise from a deficiency in the property (or from any other property or land in the vicinity) for which the landlord is responsible; and
• Is not wholly or mainly attributable to the tenant’s breach of lease or any exclusion or modification ordered by the County Court under section 12 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

An investigation must be completed:

• Within 10 working days from the day after the landlord becomes aware of the issue or concern; or
• If the tenant requires a physical inspection of the property, 10 working days from the day after such a request was made.

A summary of the investigation must be provided to the tenant within 3 working days from the day after the investigation was completed unless, within that time, all required works have been completed. It is worth noting that the Regulations also amend the usual rules regarding service by post in that the summary must only be posted (and not received) within the 3 working days.

Under the Regulations, landlords will have 5 working days (from the date of the conclusion of the investigation) to repair significant hazards (but not including repairs/works to cladding).

The 5 working day deadline ceases to apply where:

• The tenant (and other occupiers) is decanted from the property before it expires (provided the works are then completed as soon as reasonably practicable); or
• The required works cannot be completed without the consent of someone else and all reasonable steps to obtain such consent have been exhausted and the consent has not been obtained; or
• A further investigation concludes that the hazard does not exist, or the works are not required.

Preventative Works

Where preventative works are identified, these must also be commenced either:

• Within 5 working days from the day after the investigation was completed; or
• Where this is not reasonably practicable, within 12 weeks of the conclusion of the investigation.

Preventative works must be completed within a reasonable period.

Preventative works will cease to be required where:

• The required works cannot be completed without the consent of someone else and all reasonable steps to obtain such consent have been exhausted and the consent has not been obtained; or
• A further investigation concludes that the hazard does not exist, or the works are not required.

Keeping the Tenant Updated

The tenant must be kept regularly updated and must be updated at the following points:

• The works are complete;
• Where the required works cannot be completed without the consent of someone else and all reasonable steps to obtain such consent have been exhausted and the consent cannot be obtained;
• A further investigation concludes that the hazard does not exist, or the works are not required.

Retrospective Application

The Regulations have retrospective application to existing hazards (i.e. hazards that existed before 27 October 2025) where:

• A report is received on or after 27 October 2025 about that hazard; or
• There is a material change on or after 27 October 2025 relating to a hazard which the landlord was aware of before 27 October 2025.