Awaab's Law Is Now in Force: What Every Landlord Must Do About Damp and Mould

Awaab's Law is no longer on the horizon — it is here. Named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his family's housing association flat in Rochdale, the legislation imposes strict legal timeframes on social landlords to investigate and remedy damp and mould hazards.

If you manage residential properties, this is the most significant change to housing compliance obligations in a decade. Here is what you need to know.

What Does Awaab's Law Require?

The law, introduced as an amendment to the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, sets prescriptive deadlines that landlords must meet once a hazard is reported:

Within 14 calendar days of receiving a written complaint, the landlord must carry out an inspection and provide the tenant with a written summary of findings.

Within 7 calendar days of the inspection, if a Category 1 or Category 2 damp and mould hazard is confirmed, the landlord must begin repair works.

Within 28 calendar days of starting repairs, all works must be completed. Where more extensive remediation is required, landlords must provide a clear schedule and keep the tenant informed.

If the hazard poses an imminent risk to health, emergency action must be taken within 24 hours.

These are not guidelines. They are legally enforceable obligations, and failure to comply can trigger intervention from the Regulator of Social Housing, including unlimited fines.

Who Does It Apply To?

Awaab's Law currently applies to registered providers of social housing in England — housing associations and local authority landlords. However, the government has signalled its intention to extend similar obligations to the private rented sector, and many local authorities are already applying the same standards when enforcing under the Housing Act 2004.

If you are a private landlord or managing agent, treating these timeframes as best practice now will put you ahead of the curve.

The Documentation Challenge

The law does not just require landlords to act quickly — it requires them to prove they acted quickly. Every step of the process must be documented:

- The date and content of the tenant's complaint
- The date of inspection and detailed findings
- Photographic or video evidence of the hazard
- The written summary provided to the tenant
- The start date, scope, and completion date of repair works
- Any follow-up inspections

This is where many landlords are struggling. Manual processes — paper forms, emailed photos, spreadsheets tracking deadlines — simply cannot keep up with the volume and urgency that Awaab's Law demands.

How AnyInspect Helps You Stay Compliant

AnyInspect was built for exactly this kind of compliance challenge. Here is how the platform maps to Awaab's Law requirements:

Rapid inspections. When a damp and mould complaint comes in, your inspector can be on-site recording a video walkthrough within hours. There is no need to prepare paperwork or print templates — just open the app and start recording.

Automatic evidence capture. The video recording captures everything: the extent of mould growth, moisture readings, ventilation issues, and the inspector's professional commentary. AI extracts the key frames and transcribes the narration into a structured report.

Timestamped audit trail. Every inspection, report, and action is timestamped and stored. When the regulator asks for evidence that you met the 14-day inspection deadline, you have an indisputable digital record.

HHSRS-aligned hazard scoring. AnyInspect's damp and mould template includes HHSRS hazard scoring, so your inspection automatically categorises the severity. This determines whether you are dealing with a Category 1 hazard (mandatory enforcement) or Category 2 (discretionary), which directly affects your required response timeline.

PDF reports in minutes, not days. The AI-generated report can be reviewed, approved, and sent to the tenant the same day as the inspection — well within the 14-day window.

Five Steps to Prepare Your Organisation

1. Audit your current complaints process. Map out how a damp and mould complaint currently flows from tenant report to completed repair. Identify where delays occur.

2. Set up automated deadline tracking. You need a system that flags when the 14-day, 7-day, and 28-day deadlines are approaching. Do not rely on individual memory.

3. Train your inspection team. Ensure every inspector understands the Awaab's Law timeframes and knows how to use your inspection tools efficiently.

4. Invest in proactive surveys. Do not wait for complaints. Regular damp and mould surveys across your stock will identify hazards before tenants need to report them.

5. Document everything. If it is not recorded, it did not happen. Use a platform that creates an automatic, timestamped evidence trail for every interaction.

The Bigger Picture

Awaab's Law is part of a broader shift in how housing regulation works in the UK. The message from government is clear: reactive, slow responses to housing hazards are no longer acceptable. Landlords who invest in proactive inspection workflows and robust documentation systems will not only stay compliant — they will provide genuinely safer homes for their tenants.

That is what compliance should be about.