The Law: Awaab’s Law

Awaab’s Law is a legal framework that applies to social housing in England and sets clear requirements for how landlords must respond to serious hazards in tenants’ homes. It is designed to ensure that risks to health and safety, including fire safety and electrical hazards, are identified, investigated, and dealt with promptly, with fixed timescales for action.

The law focuses on the real risk to the actual occupier, meaning that a tenant’s circumstances, such as disability or vulnerability, can increase urgency and affect how hazards are classified. Awaab’s Law requires landlords to take make-safe action for emergency hazards within 24 hours, to communicate clearly with tenants, and to keep accurate records showing timely and reasonable decision-making.

• Applies to social housing in England and places legal duties on social landlords.

• Sets clear timescales for investigating and addressing serious hazards in tenants’ homes.

• Distinguishes between significant hazards and emergency hazards based on risk and urgency.

• Requires emergency hazards, including fire safety and electrical hazards, to be investigated and made safe within 24 hours of awareness.

• Requires significant hazards to be investigated and acted on within defined timescales.

• Focuses on the risk to the actual occupier, not a hypothetical tenant.

• Takes account of tenant circumstances such as disability, vulnerability, age, and ability to self-evacuate.

• Allows temporary make-safe measures where full repairs cannot be completed immediately.

• Requires clear communication with tenants about findings, actions, and timescales.

• Emphasises accurate record-keeping to demonstrate reasonable and timely decision-making.