Health expert urges social landlords to act on Awaab's Law

Andrew Wilkinson, founder of Swindon-based consultancy Secure Safety Solutions, is calling on social landlords to take immediate and effective action to comply with Awaab's Law, which aims to protect tenants from serious hazards such as mould, excess cold, and other life-threatening conditions.

The law is named after Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 due to prolonged exposure to mould in his home.

Mr Wilkinson said: "It is a really important change because it puts clear deadlines around dealing with serious damp, mould and emergency hazards, rather than allowing problems to drift on for months."

Awaab's Law came into force in 2025 and currently applies to social housing in England.

It requires landlords to investigate and make safe emergency hazards within 24 hours and to investigate significant damp and mould issues within 10 working days and make them safe within five working days of the investigation being completed.

Hazards identified under the 2026 extension of the law include excess cold and excess heat, falls (associated with baths level surfaces, stairs and between levels), structural collapse, explosions, fire, electrical hazards, as well as domestic, personal hygiene and food safety.

Mr Wilkinson, who founded Secure Safety Solutions after a decade as a health and safety specialist at Heathrow Airport, said: "Poor housing conditions are not limited to damp and mould.

"Excess cold or heat, unsafe stairs, electrical faults, fire risks, structural defects and poor hygiene conditions can all seriously affect people’s health and safety."

He emphasised the importance of focusing on underlying causes rather than quick fixes and said landlords must provide a written summary of their findings and planned actions.

Mr Wilkinson said: "Awaab’s law creates clearer responsibilities for landlords, gives tenants a better understanding of what they can expect, and should improve accountability when hazards are reported.

"The real test will be how consistently landlords identify issues, communicate with residents and complete effective repairs."

Further changes are set for 2027, broadening the law to address additional hazards such as carbon monoxide, asbestos, water quality, lighting, noise and unsafe access or security.

Mr Wilkinson said: "The further expansion planned for 2027 should provide a more complete safety net.

"There needs to be stronger prevention duties, better data on repeat repairs and damp and mould cases, more support for vulnerable residents, and clearer consequences where landlords repeatedly fail to act would all help.

"There is also a strong case for making sure protection is consistently effective for private renters as well as social tenants."

He said that compliance should mean preventing hazards from recurring, not just meeting deadlines.