- From October 2025 – social landlords will be legally required to investigate and resolve dangerous damp and mould hazards within set timeframes (to be specified in forthcoming secondary legislation) and address all emergency repairs within 24 hours of notification.
- From 2026 – the requirements will expand to cover additional hazards, including excess cold and heat, falls, structural collapse, fire, electrical and explosion risks, and hygiene hazards.
- From 2027 – the obligations will further extend to encompass all remaining hazards defined in the HHSRS, excluding overcrowding.
The new regulations require RPs to make significant changes to the way they manage damp and mould within their housing stock. Beyond updating policies to reflect new statutory timescales, RP’s have had to rethink how they deliver repairs, allocate resources, and engage with residents. This has meant revisiting governance structures, strengthening reporting lines, enhancing IT systems, and investing in training for staff and contractors.
We sought the views of several of our registered provider clients on the actions they have taken to ensure preparedness for the implementation of Awaab’s Law. Below is a summary of our observations:
- RPs who engaged early with Awaab’s Law were able to align existing policies and resources with statutory requirements well ahead of the October 2025 implementation date.
- Inclusion of damp and mould issues on strategic risk registers ensures board-level oversight and integration into organisational priorities.
- Some are establishing dedicated teams to deal with damp and mould to help improve focus, accountability, and consistency in managing cases.
- RPs are bringing specialist surveyors in-house, allowing better quality control and faster response times.
- Strong governance includes defined reporting lines, KPIs for statutory timescales, and board-level visibility.
- Contractor performance is linked to KPIs, ensuring accountability across service delivery partners.
- There are multi-channel communication strategies websites, mobile apps, flyers, social media campaigns to improve awareness of tenants’ rights and reporting processes.
- There are clear triage and escalation pathways that ensure tenants’ concerns are addressed promptly and transparently.
- Mandatory induction, refresher, and specialist training (e.g., HHSRS Practitioner, PCA courses, mould cleaning) builds staff competence across teams.
- Training extends beyond trade operatives to include staff in the contact centre, housing, and legal teams, ensuring everyone understands statutory obligations.
- Dedicated budgets ensure capacity for inspections, remediation, and emergency works.
- Systems upgrades, case-tracking software, and Power BI dashboards enable real-time monitoring of compliance, KPIs, and risk trends.
- Innovative tools like humidity and temperature sensors, AI modelling, and mobile apps can support early detection and proactive management of damp, mould and condensation issues.
- RPs are integrating damp and mould processes into existing asset management and repairs workflows, strengthening operational efficiency.
- Processes are being mapped to ensure routine inspections, hazard reporting, and cause-for-concern protocols ensure hazards are identified before escalation.
Read the full case study here.
