A guide to Awaab’s Law timeframes, HHSRS hazards, emergency hazards, damp and mould duties, and case-based social housing compliance.
Awaab’s Law is now a central part of social housing compliance in England. From 27 October 2025, it requires social landlords to respond to all emergency hazards and to damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm within fixed legal timeframes. These duties should be managed as cases, not as isolated repair jobs. Each case needs a clear trigger point, triage decision, investigation record, resident update, action plan, evidence trail and closure decision.
This guide explains the Awaab’s Law timeframes in practical terms, using the official GOV.UK guidance for social landlords on repairs in the social rented sector. GOV.UK published the Phase 1 guidance on 17 October 2025 and last updated it on 16 July 2026.
It also reflects the updated Housing Health and Safety Rating System guidance published on 23 June 2026. The HHSRS is risk-based, set out in regulation and covers 21 potential housing hazards. It is used to assess the potential risk of harm to an occupier and to rate the seriousness of any hazard identified.
What is Awaab’s Law?
Awaab’s Law is the name commonly used for the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025. The regulations were introduced following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died after prolonged exposure to mould in his social housing home. The law is designed to make sure social landlords act quickly when tenants report serious health and safety hazards.
The legal framework includes the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025, the official Awaab’s Law guidance for social landlords, the Housing Act 2004 and the HHSRS operating guidance.
For social landlords, Awaab’s Law is not just a repairs policy. It affects case intake, triage, inspection, contractor management, resident communication, case notes, evidence capture, escalation routes and closure checks. A compliant process must show when the landlord became aware of a hazard, how the risk was assessed, who owned the case, when the investigation concluded, what was communicated to the tenant, when safety works were completed and why the case was closed.
Awaab’s Law timeframes: day zero and working days
The day the landlord becomes aware of a potential hazard is day zero. For working-day deadlines, the clock generally starts on the next working day. Working days are Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. Emergency hazards are different: the landlord must investigate and complete relevant safety work as soon as reasonably practicable and within 24 hours of becoming aware of the hazard.
For non-emergency working-day deadlines, this means:
- 10 working days can be up to 14 calendar days.
- 5 working days can be up to 7 calendar days.
- 3 working days can be up to 5 calendar days.
Because the statutory deadlines are measured from clear trigger points, every Awaab’s Law case needs reliable timestamps. Landlords should record the resident’s report, the date the organisation became aware of the potential hazard, the triage decision, the investigation date, the conclusion date, the deadline for each action, resident contact and the evidence used to confirm that the home has been made safe.
Emergency hazards under Awaab’s Law: the 24-hour rule
An emergency hazard is one that poses an imminent and significant risk of harm to the health or safety of an occupier, where a reasonable landlord would take steps to make the property safe within 24 hours. Under Awaab’s Law, social landlords must investigate potential emergency hazards and, where an emergency hazard is confirmed, complete relevant safety work as soon as reasonably practicable and within 24 hours of becoming aware of the hazard.
- investigate within 24 hours;
- complete relevant safety work within 24 hours of becoming aware of the hazard;
- provide suitable alternative accommodation if the home cannot be made safe within 24 hours;
- issue a written summary within 3 working days unless the hazard is fully resolved within those 3 days.
Common examples of emergency hazards can include:
- gas leaks or suspected carbon monoxide exposure;
- failure of heating or hot water where the circumstances create an imminent and significant risk of harm;
- loss of water supply where the circumstances create an imminent and significant risk of harm;
- electrical hazards such as exposed wiring;
- significant leaks where delay would create an imminent and significant risk of harm;
- broken external doors or windows affecting security;
- damp and mould causing immediate health impacts;
- significant structural defects.
If the home cannot be made safe within the 24-hour window, suitable alternative accommodation may be required. This is why emergency hazards should be escalated as live safety cases, with ownership and decision-making recorded, rather than treated as routine repair appointments.
Significant hazards: 10 working days to investigate and 5 working days to make safe
Significant hazards are serious but not immediately life-threatening. In Awaab’s Law terms, a significant hazard is one where a reasonable landlord would be expected to make the property safe within 15 working days. For phase 1, this applies to damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm. The guidance sets out three linked requirements:
- Investigate within 10 working days.
- Provide a written summary within 3 working days of the investigation concluding.
- Complete relevant safety work within 5 working days of the investigation concluding.
The key point is this: the 5-working-day make–safe period runs from the conclusion of the investigation, not from day zero.
This means the final deadline depends on when the investigation is completed.
If the landlord investigates on working day 1, the 5-working-day make-safe period runs from working day 1. If the landlord investigates on working day 10, it runs from working day 10.
In practice:
- If the investigation concludes on working day 1, make-safe works are due by working day 6.
- If the investigation concludes on working day 5, make-safe works are due by working day 10.
- If the investigation concludes on working day 10, make-safe works are due by working day 15.
The regulations give landlords up to 10 working days to investigate significant damp and mould hazards in phase 1, but they do not give extra time to act simply because the landlord used all 10 working days. Once the investigation has concluded and the hazard is confirmed, the make-safe and communication duties are triggered.
Supplementary works and further investigation
If supplementary works are required to prevent the hazard recurring, landlords must:
- begin, or take steps to begin, those works within 5 working days of the investigation concluding;
- if that is not possible, begin them as soon as reasonably practicable and within 12 weeks, unless this would be required sooner because the home cannot otherwise be made safe.
If the cause of the hazard cannot be determined, landlords must carry out further investigation as soon as reasonably practicable. If the tenant requests an in-person inspection, it must be included.
If a tenant requests a renewed investigation after a remote assessment, the landlord must complete that renewed investigation within 10 working days.
Illustrative examples based on the guidance
The GOV.UK Awaab’s Law guidance includes examples of emergency and significant damp and mould cases, while the HHSRS guidance includes worked examples showing how hazards may be assessed. The examples below are illustrative and show how the timeframes can work in practice when each matter is managed as a case from first report to closure. Landlords should always assess the actual facts, occupancy and risk in each case.
Example 1: significant damp and mould
Day 0: the tenant reports widespread mould in a bedroom. Working day 3: the landlord carries out an in-person investigation and confirms a significant hazard.
From working day 3:
- written summary by working day 6;
- make-safe works, such as mould wash or temporary ventilation measures, by working day 8;
- supplementary works, such as addressing insulation or ventilation defects, started within 5 working days of the investigation concluding, or within 12 weeks if an earlier start is not reasonably practicable.
Example 2: emergency damp and mould
Day 0: the tenant reports mould in the only bedroom and respiratory symptoms. The landlord identifies a potential emergency hazard and investigates within 24 hours. The investigation confirms an emergency hazard.
From day 0:
- make safe within 24 hours;
- written summary within 3 working days unless fully resolved.
Example 3: falls on stairs
Day 0: the tenant reports a loose handrail on a steep staircase. Working day 2: the investigation confirms a significant hazard.
From working day 2:
- written summary by working day 5;
- make-safe works, such as securing the handrail and improving lighting, by working day 7;
- supplementary works, such as installing additional handrails or non-slip treads, started within 5 working days or within 12 weeks where permitted.
The updated HHSRS hazard framework
The updated HHSRS guidance published in June 2026 reduces and reorganises the previous hazard structure from 29 hazards to 21 potential housing hazards. Awaab’s Law is being phased across these hazards through separate implementation stages, so landlords should avoid treating the phase 1 duties as the full extent of their future obligations.
Under the updated HHSRS scoring approach, hazards are described as High, Medium or Low. High hazards are the most serious and correspond to category 1 hazards, where local authorities must take enforcement action. Medium and Low hazards are category 2 hazards, where local authorities have enforcement powers but are not under the same duty to act. For Awaab’s Law, landlords should not rely on risk labels alone: they should assess the actual condition, the likely harm, the tenant’s circumstances and whether a reasonable landlord would classify the matter as an emergency hazard or a significant hazard.
- Damp and mould
- Excess cold
- Excess heat
- Asbestos and manufactured mineral fibres
- Biocides
- Carbon monoxide and fuel combustion products
- Lead
- Radiation
- Uncombusted fuel gas
- Volatile organic compounds
- Crowding and space
- Entry by intruders
- Lighting
- Noise
- Domestic hygiene, pests and refuse
- Food safety
- Water supply
- Falls associated with baths
- Falls on the level
- Falls on stairs
- Falls between levels
Phased implementation
The official guidance sets out a phased rollout:
From 27 October 2025: emergency hazards and significant damp and mould hazards.
During 2026: the regulations are expected to extend to significant hazards relating to excess cold, excess heat, falls associated with baths, falls on level surfaces, falls on stairs, falls between levels, structural collapse and explosions, fire, electrical hazards, domestic and personal hygiene and food safety.
During 2027: the regulations are expected to extend to all remaining HHSRS hazards, apart from overcrowding, where those hazards present a significant risk of harm.
What this means for landlords
In practical terms, landlords should manage Awaab’s Law through a case-based process that does three things well:
- open a case as soon as the organisation becomes aware of a potential emergency hazard or in-scope significant hazard;
- triage the case quickly, assign ownership and record the relevant statutory deadline;
- track investigation, resident communication, safety works, alternative accommodation decisions, supplementary works and closure evidence in one place.
The phased approach does not give landlords leeway to leave other dangerous conditions unaddressed in the meantime. Social landlords should continue to meet existing duties to keep homes safe, remedy disrepair, keep homes fit for human habitation and respond to category 1 hazards under the HHSRS framework.
Best practice is therefore to treat Awaab’s Law as both a legal compliance duty and a case management issue. Each case should show the deadline, the next action, the person or team responsible, resident contact, inspection findings, vulnerability considerations, alternative accommodation decisions, completion of safety works and evidence that the hazard has been resolved or controlled.
Once these trigger points are understood, the guidance becomes easier to manage. Awaab’s Law is not just a repair deadline. It is a case management duty: landlords need to identify risk quickly, keep accurate records, communicate properly with residents, make clear decisions and act before a hazard becomes unacceptable.
For social landlords, the practical message is clear: build the timeframes into case intake, triage, inspections, contractor instructions, tenant communications and case closure. If the process relies on informal chasing or separate repair tickets with no single case view, it will not be robust enough for the obligations now in force.
That means landlords should review case categories, emergency response routes, surveyor instructions, contractor service levels, out-of-hours procedures, resident letters and closure checks now, rather than waiting for the later phases to arrive. The organisations best placed to comply will be those that can evidence every step in the case journey: awareness, triage, investigation, conclusion, resident update, safety work, follow-up prevention and closure.
Important note: This article is for general information only and should not be treated as legal advice. Social landlords should check the regulations, official GOV.UK guidance and their own legal advice before making policy or operational decisions.
SurePlus Solutions can help social landlords review Awaab’s Law case pathways, repair triage, resident communication, evidence capture and closure processes so that operational teams are better prepared for the statutory timeframes.
