What Awaab’s Law Means for Tenants
With disrepair issues on the rise and councils across the country facing mounting pressure, landlords have been increasingly slow to make necessary repairs, an issue that contributed to the tragic death of Awaab Ishak in 2020.
Awaab’s Law was introduced after two-year-old Awaab Ishak tragically died from mould exposure in his Rochdale flat. His death exposed serious failings in how social landlords handle these issues all over the country. The law now forces council and social landlords to respond within strict deadlines.
Here's what they must do:
Investigate quickly
- For damp and mould: 10 working days maximum
- For emergencies: 24 hours
- They need to send someone competent to look at it in person if you ask
Tell you what's happening
- Written summary within 3 working days of finishing the investigation
- Must explain what they found, what they'll do, and when
Fix the immediate danger
- Significant hazards: 5 working days
- Emergencies: 24 hours (even if it's just a temporary fix)
Stop it happening again
- Start preventative work within 5 working days
- Finish within a reasonable time (up to 12 weeks if there are good reasons for delays)
Provide alternative housing if needed
- If they can't meet the deadlines and your home isn't safe, they must put you up somewhere suitable at their expense.
If your landlord fails to meet these deadlines, you can challenge them and escalate your complaint.
Signs Your Landlord Has Breached Their Duties
Your landlord has very specific responsibilities when it comes to making sure your home is habitable. While it’s not uncommon for landlords to fail to make repairs or take your complaints seriously, they do still have a legal duty and there are avenues you can take to make sure they address the issues. Your landlord may be failing you if they:
- Ignore your repair reports
- Blame damp or mould on “lifestyle”
- Fail to investigate hazards quickly, as outlined by Awaab’s Law
- Don’t start repairs within legal timeframes
- Leave you without updates
- Dismiss your health concerns
- Tell you to “just ventilate more” instead of fixing the cause
- Delay by passing you between departments
We’ve heard countless tails of landlords using these tactics. It’s important to remember that even when it feels pointless and like you can’t get through, you continue to make complaints and keep records.
What To Do When Your Landlord Ignores Repairs
Follow this evidence-first process to protect yourself and strengthen your case.
1) Report the problem in writing
Reporting the issue in writing is essential, you need to have evidence that you have reported the disrepair. If you make a complaint over the phone, follow it up with an email or letter. In the email or letter, you should state:
- What the issue is
- When it started
- Health impact (if any)
- Photos/videos attached
Make sure you keep copies.
2) Track your landlord’s response
Maintain a timeline:
- When you reported the issue
- Any replies or visits
- Missed deadlines or broken promises
Use a phone note or folder, this becomes evidence and will be required if you start a claim.
3) Gather supporting evidence
Helpful proof includes:
- Photo/video evidence over time
- GP records if there are health impacts
- Logs of symptoms if vulnerable (child, elderly, asthma, disability etc.)
- Reports from health visitors, support workers or social workers
- Independent surveyor report (we can arrange this)
Remember, in these kinds of cases, vulnerability matters. The law expects landlords to act faster where health risks exist.
4) Escalate the complaint
If the deadlines are missed:
Step 1: Submit a formal complaint via the landlord’s complaints policy
Step 2: If no action, escalate to the Housing Ombudsman
Step 3: For serious hazards or failures, contact the Regulator of Social Housing
Step 4: Seek legal support for repairs and compensation
We can advise which route is right based on your situation.
Real Case: Tenant Wrongly Blamed for Mould
Earlier this year we settled a case at the County Court in Leeds, where the landlord tried to insinuate that the damp and mould in the client property was due to the tenant’s lifestyle.
Throughout the claim the tenant was adamant that this was not true as he affirmed that he heated and ventilated the property adequately.
The landlord tried to remedy the issue by doing a mould wash and ignoring the more extensive works proposed by our expert, however those works were insufficient as the disrepair returned soon after. We made the landlord aware of this, and they then attended the property again they re-inspected, and their expert agreed with our works.
Due to the Landlord not taking this seriously from the outset we were able to win at trial, as the court ruled that the client was using the property in a normal manner.
We managed to get the Landlord to do the works which remedied the disrepair, and the landlord also got damages in the sum of £2,072.00.
