What is Awaab's Law and does it apply to me?

Awaab's Law requires landlords to fix serious hazards — like damp and mould — within strict legal timeframes. It is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who died in 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by mould in his social housing flat.

The law currently applies to social housing (housing associations and councils). The government has announced that it will be extended to private rented homes in England — but as of May 2026 this extension has not yet come into force for private tenants. A consultation on the timescales is underway.

If you rent privately and have serious damp or mould issues, you currently don't have Awaab's Law protections — but you do have other rights. Your landlord has a legal duty to keep the property in a safe and habitable condition under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). Serious damp and mould can be assessed as a Category 1 hazard, which the council can order your landlord to fix urgently.

Report damp or mould to your landlord in writing first. If they don't act within a reasonable time, contact your local council's environmental health team. If the hazard is serious, the council can require urgent remediation.

Once Awaab's Law is extended to private rentals — expected within the next year or two — landlords will face strict deadlines. Watch GOV.UK for updates on when this comes into force.