If you are working in social housing, then you need to be aware of the upcoming changes.
Awaab’s Law was introduced in December 2020 after two-year-old Awaab Ishak tragically died from a severe respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his social housing home.
The first phase of Awaab’s Law came into force for the social rented sector on 27 October 2025. Phase 2 is expected in 2026 and phase 3 in 2027.
What is Awaab’s Law?
The latest amendment to Awaab’s law was published on 27 October 2025 by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and The Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP. The new laws are now in force protecting social housing tenants from emergency hazards and damp and mould.
The first phase requires all social landlords to fix emergency health and safety hazards within 24 hours of reporting.
In addition, social landlords must investigate significant damp and mould within 10 days of reporting.
Phase 2, which is due to come into force in 2026, will require social landlords to fix hazards for excess cold, heat, fire, electrical risks and hygiene within 15 days. This means all fire doors that are reported as a hazard will be required to be replaced within 15 days.
And finally, in 2027, Awaab’s Law will be extended as part of phase 3 to all Housing Health and Safety Rating System hazards apart from overcrowding.
Who does Awaab’s Law affect?
Awaab’s Law primarily affects social housing landlords and their tenants in England. The new laws will also give the Housing Ombudsman greater authority on landlord compliance, and the new rules will also be embedded in tenancy agreements.
What does Awaab’s Law mean for social housing landlords?
- Review your properties regularly – identify potential hazards and fix proactively
- Find manufacturers with fast lead times – have a list of trusted manufacturers who can supply compliant products to fix hazards withing the required timeframe
- Request test evidence – ensure compliance by requesting accurate test evidence with new products
- Keep a record – mitigate any retrospective issues by having a record of changes
What does Awaab’s Law mean for tenants?
- Legal rights – outlined in tenancy agreements and with support from the Housing Ombudsman
- Clear expectations – when hazards will be fixed and what action they can take should expectations not be met
- Alternative accommodation – if hazards cannot be fixed within the required timeframe
Find a trusted door manufacturer
When working on retrofit projects, you will need to work with manufacturers who can supply products with fast lead times to fix hazards within the timelines stated. In 2026, hazards will need to be replaced within 15 days, including fire doors. We can supply fire-rated and PAS24 doorsets within 10 working days and it is important housing associations find trusted door manufacturers, who can provide compliant doorsets within a short lead time, before a hazard occurs on their project. This will enable the hazard to be replaced within the required timeframe.
Ensure you procure products with accurate test evidence, as if you fit a non-compliant doorset, you will need to start the process again. Make sure you understand which doors are required, as it is crucial that doors have been tested to the duration outlined in the building design, which is typically 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes.
Once a fully compliant doorset has been procured, it is vital the doorset is installed by a competent installer to ensure compliance. We have a list of trusted door installers from around the country and provide our very own Selo Academy, to provide the gold standard approach for installation of our doors to ensure full compliance. Speak to us for a list of competent door installers near you.
What’s next?
The government is expected to extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector through the Renters’ Rights Bill. This will require private landlords to meet similar standards and timeframes to social housing.
We have fire rated, non-fire rated and PAS24 internal doorsets available on 10 working day lead time. If you have any questions regarding Awaab’s Law or our Selo Sprint service, please contact us sales@selo.global | 020 3880 0339.