Awaab’s Law marked a significant shift in housing safety and accountability. It has redefined expectations for tenant health, placing it firmly at the centre of regulatory standards. In England, social landlords are now required to act promptly on reported hazards, ensuring negligence is no longer tolerated.
The legislation introduces clearer, tighter timelines and mandates a faster remediation of serious damp and mould – crucial steps to protect tenants from associated health risks, including respiratory illnesses and mental health challenges.
Undoubtedly, Awaab’s Law provides clear expectations for how landlords should respond in the early stages of a complaint. However, the wider context of the full remediation process remains less defined. While non-statutory guidance outlines what constitutes ‘significant’ and ‘emergency’ hazards and emphasises the need for qualified professionals, much of the practical implementation still relies on social landlords’ judgment and internal procedures.
Many landlords may not yet recognise that the greatest operational challenge sits between the immediate emergency fix and the start of long-term remediation. Navigating this interim period isn’t optional; landlords must understand and manage it effectively to meet legal requirements and to prioritise tenant health.
From immediate response to full remediation
Compliance with Awaab’s Law should be seen not as a quick fix, but as part of a wider, ongoing journey. Effective management begins with a structured approach that adheres to strict timelines.
| Stage | Emergency Hazard | Significant Hazard |
| Landlord becomes aware | Day 0 | Day 0 |
| Investigation completed | Within 24 hours | Within 10 days |
| Make safe works completed | Within 24 hours | Within 5 working days after investigation |
| Written summary issued | Within 3 working days after investigation | Within 3 working days after investigation |
| Start/Arrange supplementary work | Within 5 working days after investigation | Within 5 working days after investigation |
| Physically start supplementary work (latest) | Within 12 weeks after investigation | Within 12 weeks after investigation |
Those of you doing the calculations may have already noticed that the challenging gap between the immediate emergency fix and the point at which supplementary works must begin can stretch to as long as 84 days. This can be broken down into a three-phase process:
● Phase 1: Investigate and ‘make safe’
● Phase 2: Reporting, Planning and Bridging the gap
● Phase 3: Supplementary work
This structured approach helps landlords prioritise tenant safety, meet statutory obligations and maintain clear, consistent operational processes. So, what steps should landlords take to navigate each stage with confidence?
Emergency 'Make Safe' works
Awaab’s Law begins with reducing hazards, with the required response determined by the severity of the issue. In an emergency, landlords must act immediately: investigate the situation and complete all necessary ‘make safe’ measures within 24 hours of being notified of the risk.
Emergency “make safe” works are not about solving the root cause but about removing the immediate hazard. If tenants report damp or mould, the priority should be to eliminate visible growth and contamination that could pose an acute health risk, such as airborne spores and allergens, to prevent the situation from escalating. Where the issue arises from an active fault, such as a leak, emergency action should quickly contain or repair the source to stop further moisture entering the property.
All emergency interventions must be carried out by qualified professionals, such as contractors, who can ensure the home remains safe through phases two and three, including root-cause investigation and risk mitigation steps.
To demonstrate accountability, landlords should thoroughly document all actions taken and outcomes achieved, using photographs, reports and clear records, to show that the home met safety requirements within the mandated timeframe.
Bridging the gap
The next phase begins once the initial risk has been addressed. Out of all stages, this is the most operationally complex for landlords. It bridges the gap between the immediate ‘make safe’ works and the start of longer-term supplementary repairs designed to prevent recurrence. Although the statutory timetable provides structure, it still allows for an extended mobilisation period.
Beginning supplementary works within five working days is not always feasible, and the physical on-site start can sometimes be delayed for up to 12 weeks. Without strong governance, interim controls and contractor mobilisation, cases risk of drifting during this period.
The core components of an effective bridging strategy should include:
● Root-cause diagnostics: targeted surveys to identify the causes of damp and mould (moisture source, ventilation, fabric defects).
● Provisional controls: measures to prevent hazard recurrence and keep the home safe while permanent works are organised (such as dehumidification, temporary ventilation/heating, moisture monitoring, and short-term surface treatments such as anti-mould coatings or paint additives to suppress re-growth until the underlying cause is resolved).
● Clear tenant communication: regular updates with tenants offering timing and progress on next steps, plus practical information on how to stay safe during the interim period.
● Preparation: arrange contractors, lock in materials, and fast-track any necessary approvals as early as possible, particularly when delays in these steps make starting within five working days unrealistic
● Record keeping: assign clear ownership and escalation routes, supported by a traceable record of decisions and actions (such as photographs) to show effective risk control and progress
When social landlords have strong governance in place, clearly defined roles and consistent, reliable processes, they significantly reduce the risk of investigation and demonstrate a clear commitment to accountability.
Supplementary works
Phase three - the final stage – focuses on long-term solutions that eliminate the root causes of damp and mould and prevent them from returning. Typically, this involves a combination of ventilation upgrades and fabric repairs tailored to the specific issue.
Where improved ventilation is required, landlords may adopt continuous-running extract ventilation systems, such as MEV or continuous extract units in wet rooms and, in some homes, positive input ventilation (PIV) as a retrofit option.
When the underlying problem stems from the building’s structure, the priority is to address penetrating damp. Common causes include defective roofing, leaking downpipes, failed pointing, and poor sealing around doors and windows. For porous but otherwise sound external walls, applying a water-repellent masonry cream such as a silane/siloxane-based ‘brick cream’ can help reduce rainwater absorption and control penetrating damp.
To tackle rising damp, measures may include improving drainage, correcting bridging levels, replacing salt-contaminated plaster or installing a remedial DPC. Embedding these remediation actions within a long-term asset strategy ensures landlords are better positioned to keep homes safe and compliant. This phase marks more than a technical fix; it represents a transition from reactive repair work to strategic, preventative housing management.
The road to compliance
The introduction of Awaab’s Law has reshaped the way housing safety is prioritised by both landlords and tenants. Expectations for landlords have risen and continue to evolve, but many cannot afford to wait for further clarity. With a structured approach, social landlords can act quickly to make homes safe within 24 hours and effectively bridge the gap between immediate emergency action and longer-term supplementary works to ensure hazards are fully addressed.
Clear roles, strong governance and trackable processes give social landlords the foundation they need to meet the new timeframes with confidence and, most importantly, to provide tenants with safer, healthier homes.
