Understanding Awaab's Law and what it means for you

About Awaab's Law

Everyone deserves to live in a home that is safe, secure and provides healthy conditions.

Awaab's Law helps make sure social landlords take prompt action when residents report damp, mould and other serious hazards that could affect their health or safety.

The law is named in memory of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who tragically died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to severe mould in his home.

At Places for People, we're committed to responding quickly when concerns are reported and keeping you informed every step of the way. If you tell us about a serious problem in your home, we'll investigate it, explain what happens next, and take action where we're responsible for putting things right.

Awaab's Law also sets clear expectations for how quickly serious hazards should be investigated, when safety work should be carried out, and how Customers should be kept informed throughout the process.

If you ever feel we've not met these standards, you can raise a concern through our complaints process. If you're not satisfied with the outcome, you may also be able to contact the Housing Ombudsman Service for independent support.

Quick links:

What's changing
How Awaab's Law applies in England and Scotland
What the changes mean for our Customers
What types of problem could be covered?
What you can expect from us
How you can help
Report a problem

What's changing?

Since October 2025, Awaab's Law has applied to damp and mould, as well as certain emergency hazards.

From 30 November 2026, the law expands to cover a wider range of serious hazards that could affect your health or safety.

These include issues such as:

Homes that are too cold or too hot
Electrical safety problems
Fire and explosion risks
Unsafe parts of buildings
Trip and fall hazards
Drainage, sanitation and hygiene issues

The new rules set clear timescales for investigating problems, carrying out urgent repairs and keeping Customers updated every step of the way. This holds landlords to account to stop problems from dragging on.

Making sure that emergency and significant hazards are treated with the seriousness they deserve so your home can be made safe.

How Awaab's Law applies in England and Scotland

Places for People manages homes in both England and Scotland.

While the legal requirements differ between the two countries, our approach is always the same: if you report a serious hazard that could affect your health or safety, we'll investigate, keep you informed and take appropriate action where we're responsible for putting things right.

In England, Awaab's Law is being introduced in phases:

Since October 2025, it has applied to damp and mould hazards and certain emergency hazards.
From 30 November 2026, it covers a wider range of serious hazards that could affect Customers' health or safety.

In Scotland:

Awaab's Law regulations came into force on 6 October 2026.
The current regulations focus on damp and mould hazards.
Landlords must investigate reports and begin any necessary repairs within set timescales

What this means for our Customers

Regardless of where you live, we'll always assess reported concerns through our repairs and safety processes and aim to provide a consistent, high-quality service. This means that even where a particular hazard is not currently covered by Awaab's Law in your country, we'll still investigate the issue, explain any next steps and take action where needed.

If you live in Scotland and would like to learn more about how Awaab's Law applies to you, visit our Changes to Scottish Housing Law 2026 page or read the Scottish Government's guidance for tenants on Awaab's Law.

What types of problems could be covered?

Awaab's Law applies to serious hazards that could affect the health, safety or wellbeing of you or your household, where Places for People is responsible for the repair or maintenance.

From 30 November 2026, the law applies to a wider range of serious hazards in addition to damp and mould. Where these hazards present a significant risk to your health or safety, clear timescales apply for investigating the issue, keeping you informed and carrying out any necessary safety work.

Some hazards require an immediate response because they present a serious and urgent risk. Others still need prompt action but can be investigated through the standard Awaab's Law process. The timescales we follow will depend on the type and severity of the issue reported.

Homes that are too cold (excess cold)

This includes situations where your home cannot be heated properly or does not stay warm enough to be safe and comfortable.

Examples:

No heating or hot water
A boiler that has stopped working
Radiators not heating the home properly
Cold draughts coming through windows or doors
Poor insulation making the home difficult to keep warm

Homes that are too hot (excess heat)

This includes homes that become excessively hot, particularly during warmer weather.

Examples:

Rooms becoming uncomfortably hot for long periods
Poor airflow or ventilation
Heat becoming trapped inside the property
Upper-floor homes that regularly overheat

Electrical safety problems

This includes anything that could put you at risk of electric shock, burns or fire.

Examples:

Exposed wires
Damaged plug sockets or light fittings
Electrical systems that are unsafe
Electrical equipment provided by us that is not working safely

Fire or explosion risks

This includes anything that increases the risk of a fire or makes it harder to stay safe if a fire occurs.

Examples:

Smoke alarms not working
Fire doors that do not close properly
Gas leaks
Blocked fire escape routes
Fire safety systems that are not working as expected

Parts of the building that may become unsafe (structural collapse and falling elements)

This includes situations where parts of your home could become loose, unstable or fall.

Examples:

Loose roof tiles
Crumbling brickwork
Unsafe balconies or railings
Ceilings or walls showing signs of movement
Items attached to the building that could fall and cause injury

Slips, trips and falls

This includes hazards that increase the risk of falling inside or around the home.

Examples:

Damaged flooring
Loose carpets
Broken steps
Missing handrails
Poor lighting in communal areas
Slippery surfaces caused by leaks or water ingress

Hygiene, sanitation and drainage problems

This includes issues that could affect health through poor drainage, sanitation or living conditions.

Examples:

Drains that regularly back up or overflow
Toilets that cannot be used
Sewage leaks
Problems with water supplies
Pest infestations linked to the condition of your home
Kitchen or washing facilities that cannot be used properly.

What you can expect from us

When you report a potential hazard, we'll assess the information you provide and determine how urgently the issue needs to be addressed. The law sets clear timescales for investigating hazards, carrying out any necessary safety work and keeping Customers informed throughout the process.

Emergency hazards

Emergency hazards are issues that present an immediate and serious risk to health or safety.

If we identify an emergency hazard, we'll investigate and complete any urgent safety work within 24 hours.

We will provide a written summary for all emergency repairs, unless they are full resolved during the inspection.

Examples may include:

Gas leaks
Exposed electrical wiring
Serious flooding
Severe damp and mould creating an immediate health risk
Significant structural damage

Significant hazards

Significant hazards are serious issues that could affect your health or safety but do not present an immediate danger.

Examples may include:

Damp and mould affecting living areas
A home that cannot be adequately heated
Unsafe stairs, flooring or handrails that increase the risk of falls
Electrical problems that could become dangerous
Pest infestations, drainage or sanitation issues
Structural defects that could affect the safety of your home

For these hazards, we will:

Investigate within 10 working days
Provide an update within 3 working days of completing our investigation
Complete any work needed to make the hazard safe within 5 working days where required

Where longer-term repairs or preventative work are needed, we will begin these as soon as possible and keep you updated throughout. In cases where the law requires it, this work will be started within 12 weeks. We will also complete any follow-up work needed to reduce the risk of the problem returning.   

If a hazard cannot be resolved within the timescales required to keep you safe, we'll arrange suitable temporary accommodation for you and your household at no cost to you. 

Summary of actions and timescales

Once the problem has been reported to us:

If emergency hazard identified - urgent safety works completed within 24 hours.

If significant hazard identified - investigated within 10 working days.

We’ll update you – usually within 3 working days of our visit.

We'll make your home safe – serious hazards addressed within 5 working days.

Longer term repairs – started as soon as possible / work begins within 12 weeks.

If your home isn’t safe - alternative accommodation provided.

We’ll keep you informed – updates, advice and support throughout.

How you can help

When you report a problem, please tell us how it's affecting you and anyone else living in your home. This helps us understand the level of risk and decide how quickly we need to respond.

This might include information about:

Health conditions
Disabilities
Pregnancy
Mobility needs
Age-related vulnerabilities
Any other circumstances that could increase the risk of harm

You don't need to provide medical evidence for us to take this information into account.

To meet the timescales set out under Awaab's Law, we may need access to your home to inspect the issue or carry out repairs. In some cases, we may need access within 24 hours if there is an immediate risk to health or safety.

If a visit is required, we'll always try to arrange a convenient time and understand any support needs you may have. To help us investigate and resolve issues as quickly as possible, you'll need to provide access yourself or arrange for another adult aged 18 or over to be present on your behalf.

Working together helps us assess concerns, carry out any necessary work and keep your home safe.