Awaab’s Law Comes into Force Today

As of today, 27 October 2025, Awaab’s Law officially comes into force across England, setting new legal standards for how social landlords must respond to serious health hazards in residents’ homes. This law was introduced following the tragic death of Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who died in 2020 due to prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s flat. His story sparked national outrage and led to calls for stronger protections for tenants living in unsafe conditions.

What Does Awaab’s Law Require?

Under the new regulations, landlords must:

• Investigate emergency hazards within 24 hours of being notified. These include risks that pose an immediate threat to health or safety.
• Investigate significant hazards, such as damp and mould, within ten working days.
• Provide residents with a written summary of findings within three working days of completing the investigation.
• Complete necessary repairs within strict periods, depending on the severity of the issue.
• Offer alternative decant accommodation if repairs cannot be made within the required timescales.

These requirements are now legally binding and apply to all social housing providers.

What customers can expect from us?

At Homes in Somerset, we are fully committed to making sure that your home environment is a safe place to live and to assure you that we will be fully complying with the new law. We have been working hard to make sure we are ready to support all customers’ needs.

For all potential issues or queries, we will take details from you regarding the issue and will arrange for a surveyor to visit you within 24 hours to assess the cause and agree on what action we will take to resolve it. You will receive a written report with the findings and the timescales for any works to be undertaken within 3 days of us completing our investigations. We will collaborate with you to arrange a convenient time for the works to take place.

Our commitment

As per our Corporate Strategy, we are committed to providing a healthy, safe and secure home for all customers. Please contact us via our Customer Services Team on 0800 585 360 if you have any issues or concerns regarding damp, mould, or anything else.