The Renters’ Rights bill and Awaab’s Law: Increasing responsibility for private landlords

The Renters’ Rights Bill, which will soon become the Renters’ Rights Act, will place far more responsibility on private landlords. One of the ways that it will do this is by increasing obligations on private landlords to remedy poor living conditions in their properties.

Awaab’s Law

“Awaab’s law,” was introduced by the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, following the tragic death of 2-year-old Awaab Ishak who died in December 2020 following prolonged exposure to mould. Awaab’s law implies a term into social housing tenancies that requires the social landlord to “comply with all prescribed requirements that are applicable to that lease.” The prescribed requirements will be set out in The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (“the Regulations”) that are due to come into force on 27 October 2025.

The Regulations provide detailed obligations for social landlords to investigate and remedy hazards within set timeframes. Under the Regulations, the hazards are split into two groups: significant hazards relating to damp and mould and emergency hazards. Emergency hazards will pose an imminent risk and significant risk of harm to the health or safety of an occupier. Emergency hazards are expected to be investigated, and relevant safety works completed, within 24 hours of the social landlord becoming aware of it. There are different time frames for ‘significant hazards’ in which the social landlord is required to take action.

Where the required safety works cannot be completed within the specific timeframes, social landlords must offer the household temporary accommodation at no additional cost to the tenant. The Regulations also set out various other obligations that the social landlord must comply with.

Where social landlords fail to comply with the Regulations, their tenants will be able to bring a court claim against them for repair/safety works and/or compensation.

How does this affect private landlords?

At the moment, from 27 October 2025, the obligations described above will only impact social landlords. However, clauses 60 and 61 of the Renters’ Rights Bill will extend the scope of Awaab’s law to tenancies and licences in the private rented sector. This means that private landlords will need to carry out investigations and repair works within specified timeframes which will be set out in future regulations.

Where landlords do not comply with the timescales, tenants will be able to bring court proceedings against landlords. If the tenant is successful, landlords can be ordered to carry out repair works, put the tenant in temporary accommodation until repair works are completed and/or pay tenants compensation.

Tenants will also be able to raise complaints with the new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman, which will come into force under the Renters’ Rights Bill. Although this is separate to the court services, private landlords will be obligated to comply with decisions made by this ombudsman as their decisions will be legally binding. It is not yet clear when this ombudsman scheme will come into force, so this option will not yet be available for tenants.

We do not currently have timescales as to when Awaab’s law will begin to apply to private rented tenancies or licences, or what timescales private landlords will be required to comply with when addressing hazards. Government guidance suggests that the timescales may be longer than those that are scheduled to be imposed on social landlords.

It is important to prepare for the implementation of Awaab’s law on the private rental sector, as private landlords are likely to be required to act far more quickly to resolve housing conditions than before. Failure to do so, will likely lead to legal action.

Our expert team can assist you if you have any questions, contact us on 020 7940 4060 or send us an email at mail@anthonygold.co.uk.