Awaab's Law for damp, mould and emergency repairs

From 27 October 2025 Awaab’s Law requires us to fix reported damp, mould and emergency hazards within set timeframes. 

Awaab's Law regulations

The Regulations mean we as landlords must: 

• investigate any potential emergency hazards and, if hazards are confirmed, undertake relevant safety work as soon as reasonably practicable. The investigation and the work must both take place within 24 hours of becoming aware of the hazard.
• investigate any potential significant hazards within 10 working days of becoming aware of them.
• produce a written summary of investigation findings and send this to you within 3 working days of the conclusion of the investigation.
• undertake relevant safety work within 5 working days of the investigation concluding, if the investigation identifies a significant hazard.
• begin, or take steps to begin, any supplementary preventative work to prevent a significant or emergency hazard recurring within 5 working days of the investigation concluding, if the investigation identifies a significant or emergency hazard. If steps cannot be taken to begin work in 5 working days this must be done as soon as possible, and work must be physically started within 12 weeks.
• satisfactorily complete supplementary preventative works within a reasonable time period.
• secure the provision of suitable alternative accommodation for you and anyone living in your home, at our expense, if relevant safety work cannot be completed within specified timeframes.
• keep you updated throughout the process and provide information on how to keep you safe.

Significant and emergency hazards

For a hazard to be in scope of the Awaab’s Law repair requirements, it must:

• be a part of buildings or land for which we are responsible
• be in our control to fix
• not be damage that is a result of breach of contract by the tenant
• result from defects, disrepair or lack of maintenance 
• be a significant or emergency hazard. 

For hazards that are in scope of Awaab’s Law there are two potential categories: significant and emergency hazard. For Phase 1 of Awaab’s Law, regulations will cover significant hazards relating to damp and mould, and all emergency hazards. 

A significant hazard is one that poses a real risk to the health or safety of you and your household but doesn’t require immediate action. There isn’t an imminent risk, but it is serious enough to harm health if not dealt with promptly. 

An emergency hazard is one that poses an immediate and serious risk to your health or safety. 

Examples of hazards that could be emergency hazards requiring emergency action include, but are not limited to: 

• gas leaks
• broken boilers
• total loss of water supply
• electrical hazards such as exposed wiring
• significant leaks
• broken external doors or windows that present a risk to home security
• prevalent damp and/or mould that is having a material impact on your health, for example your ability to breathe
• significant structural defects or disrepair. 

How you can help us 

It is important that you tell us if you or anyone living in your home has health conditions or other vulnerabilities which we need to take in to account. 

To help us to respond to your report of an emergency or significant hazard in your home we will need to ask you questions about it and about who lives in your home. We may also need to be able to visit your home within 24 hours. This means you will need to be at home or have a person over 18 at home to let us in to complete work to make safe or investigate.  

If you have a damp, mould or a hazard to report please call us on 01772 667 002.