A consultation open until 18 December 2026 asks how Awaab's Law repair deadlines should apply to private renters and other housing, potentially covering around 9 million homes in England.
Key facts
- Who: Private renters and their landlords in England, plus people in temporary accommodation, care leavers' housing and supported housing
- From: Announced 8 October 2026; consultation closes 18 December 2026
- Source: Clampdown on dangerous homes to protect more tenants and families
On 8 October 2026 the government announced a consultation on bringing Awaab's Law into the private rented sector. The law sets legal deadlines for landlords to fix serious hazards such as dangerous damp and mould. It is named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to damp and mould in his home.
Awaab's Law already applies to social housing, where it protects over 4 million tenants. The consultation also asks which other types of accommodation should benefit in future: temporary accommodation for homeless people and families, accommodation for young people leaving care, and supported housing. Extending the law to all of these could raise the number of households covered from 4 million to around 9 million. England has 11 million private renters.
The consultation will inform how the law is applied in the private sector, including the timescale for the new protections to come into force. An options assessment on the potential impacts is published alongside it, and the government is seeking further evidence through the consultation.
Where the law stands now
Landlords must already act on hazards found to be significant and a serious threat to health and safety. Around one in 10 private rented homes has a hazard at the most serious level, category 1. The Renters' Rights Act introduced fines of up to £7,000 where such serious dangers are found.
The Renters' Rights Act has also made eviction for no reason illegal. Above-market rent increases can now be challenged in court.
In social housing, Awaab's Law is being introduced in three phases:
- Phase 1 came into force on 31 October 2025, covering severe damp and mould.
- Phase 2, subject to parliamentary approval, is due on 30 November 2026. It extends to further serious hazards such as electrical hazards, excess cold and falls.
- Phase 3 is due in 2027. It covers all remaining hazards in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System that present a significant risk of harm, except overcrowding, which is addressed differently.
What this means for tenants and landlords
Nothing changes yet for private tenancies: this is a consultation, and the timescale for the new deadlines has not been set. Existing duties on landlords to deal with serious hazards, and the penalties of up to £7,000, already apply.
Tenants living with damp, mould or other hazards may find it useful to keep a record of the problem, their reports to the landlord and the replies.
Landlords, tenants and organisations working with them can respond to the consultation before it closes on 18 December 2026.
Sources
- Clampdown on dangerous homes to protect more tenants and families, GOV.UK, 8 October 2026: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/clampdown-on-dangerous-homes-to-protect-more-tenants-and-families