Awaab's Law: What it means for you

From 30 November 2026, the law that sets how quickly we must deal with hazards in your home will cover many more types of issues. Learn what is changing, how quickly we must act, and how you can help us keep your home safe.

What is Awaab's Law?

Awaab's Law sets fixed timescales for social landlords like us to investigate and fix hazards in your home. It is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who died in 2020 after long exposure to mould in his family's home.

The law has covered emergencies and damp and mould since 27 October 2025. From 30 November 2026 it will also cover:

• excess cold and excess heat, for example a home that cannot be kept warm

• falls, including on stairs, steps and between levels

• structural collapse, such as ceilings or walls that are unsafe

• fire and explosions inside the home

• electrical hazards, such as exposed wiring or damaged sockets

• hygiene, including problems that make it hard to keep yourself, your home or your food clean and safe.

These timescales form part of your tenancy agreement, so you can hold us to them.

Who it applies to

Awaab's Law applies if you rent your home from us on a social tenancy. It does not apply to shared ownership or leasehold homes. If you are a shared owner or leaseholder, you can still report repairs we are responsible for in the usual way.

How quickly we must act

The law sorts hazards into two levels, depending on how serious the risk is to the people who live in your home:

• Emergency hazard: a risk of serious harm that needs dealing with straight away.

• Significant hazard: a serious risk that is not an emergency but still needs fixing quickly.

The same problem can be more urgent in one home than another. A broken boiler is more serious in winter, and more serious again if a baby or an older person lives there.

These are the longest we are allowed to take. We will act faster where we can.

If we cannot make your home safe in time, we must offer you somewhere suitable to stay, at our cost, until it is safe. It is your choice whether to accept this offer.

What happens when you report a hazard

1. You tell us. Or one of our colleagues or contractors spots it while in your home.

2. We decide how urgent it is. We think about the problem and about who lives in your home.

3. We investigate. A contractor, surveyor or inspector visits to check the problem.

4. We write to you. We tell you what we found and what we will do next.

5. We make your home safe. We also start any longer-term work needed to stop the problem coming back.

6. We check with you. We only close the case once you have confirmed the hazard has gone.

How you can help

• Tell us as soon as you notice a problem. Do not wait for it to get worse. Calling us directly is the quickest way - 020 3815 0000.

• Tell us about your household. Age, health and disability can change how quickly we need to act, so let us know if anything changes.

• Don't worry about being blamed. Cooking, washing and drying clothes are part of everyday life. They are never a reason for us not to act on damp, mould or any other hazard.

• Expect more probing questions when you report a problem to us. This will help us assess the situation and triage it appropriately.

What we are doing to get ready

We have been preparing for the November changes for some time.

• Almost 900 colleagues have been trained so far, and hundreds more are booked on sessions. This includes people who visit homes, answer calls and manage repairs.

• We are linking our repairs system with our contractors' systems, so updates on your repair pass between us automatically. This helps us track every hazard against the legal timescales.

• Our teams have guidance on how to assess each type of hazard, so decisions are consistent.

If you have any questions about Awaab’s Law, please contact your local officer.