Preparing for Awaab’s Law:  A Practical Guide to UK Social Housing Compliance

16th April 2025

by Kirsty Duncan

The introduction of Awaab’s Law marks a defining moment for the UK’s social housing sector. Named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who tragically died from prolonged exposure to mould in his home, the law aims to ensure such a failure never happens again. It signals not only a shift in regulation but a transformation in how housing providers must think about safety, responsiveness and accountability.

This guide explains what Awaab’s Law entails and when the compliance deadlines hit. It outlines how social housing providers across the UK can respond by turning regulatory risk into an opportunity to modernise systems and better protect tenants.

Does Awaabs’ Law apply to private landlords?

At present, Awaab’s Law only applies to social housing. However, it reflects a broader shift towards stronger regulation across the rental sector, with a growing focus on tenant health and safety. While private landlords are not currently affected, they should be prepared for potential future changes that may introduce similar requirements.

Why disconnected systems risk non-compliance

Most organisations are already working within complex digital ecosystems, often comprising a patchwork of housing management systems (HMS), repairs platforms, CRM tools and contractor portals. These systems rarely work in harmony. Instead, they create silos, manual processes and communication breakdowns, making it difficult to act quickly and decisively when tenant health is at stake.

The real demand of Awaab’s Law is cultural. It requires a sector-wide transition from being reactive to becoming truly proactive. Rather than waiting for complaints or responding only when issues escalate, housing providers must embed early detection, consistent monitoring and fast, documented action into their day-to-day operations.

Yet achieving this shift isn’t simply a matter of changing mindset – it requires addressing the technological foundations that support housing operations.

This fragmentation is where the greatest risk lies under Awaab’s Law. Disconnected systems can lead to missed reports, delayed actions, poor visibility and ultimately, non-compliance. And with the legislation entering enforcement stages from October 2025 – with 24-hour repair requirements and escalating coverage of health risks – providers must act fast.

High-level Awaab’s law process map in Liberty Spark

The journey to Awaab’s Law began in November 2022 with the release of the coroner’s report into the death of Awaab Ishak. The campaign for change gained momentum quickly and below are the key deadlines and timelines related to the implementation of Awaab’s Law:

• July 2023: Awaab’s Law included in the Social Housing (Regulation) Act
• October 2025: Legal requirement to address damp and mould that poses serious health risks within 24 hours
• From 2026: Additional hazards (e.g. fire risks, electrical faults, structural hazards) will fall under fixed timeframes
• By 2027: Nearly all hazards listed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) will be covered.

This evolving framework is not just about enforcement – it comes with real legal, financial, reputational and operational consequences. Providers could face forced repairs, compensation claims, legal costs and increased scrutiny.

Even a relatively small number of claims can lead to six-figure liabilities when factoring in disrepair payouts, legal fees, repair costs and regulatory penalties.

From October 2025, social housing landlords will be legally required to investigate and resolve dangerous damp, mould and emergency hazards within 24 hours. Failure to comply with this legislation will result in court action.

For social housing providers, this marks a significant shift in expectations and requirements. While you may be asking the right questions, finding the right tools and systems to help you remain compliant with Awaab’s Law can be difficult:

• Are we capturing and prioritising every tenant report?
• Where are our workflow gaps or manual handovers?
• Can our systems support 24-hour emergency response times – without overwhelming teams?

The reality for many providers is that existing housing management systems (HMS) do not work in isolation. You might be using one platform for case management, another for repairs and a third for tenant communication. Manual handovers between departments or delayed data entries only exacerbate the issue.

But here’s the good news – remaining compliant with Awaab’s Law doesn’t mean starting from scratch. By using tools like Liberty for Housing, you can integrate your existing systems more effectively and create an approach that prioritises the safety of your tenants.

The costs of inaction

The Courts are already awarding thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, in compensation to tenants. Common disrepair case awards can range from £500 to over £100,000, depending on the severity, health impact and duration of exposure.

Beyond the financial cost, non-compliance affects:

• Staff capacity and morale
• Operational planning
• Public trust and brand reputation.

Without digital systems to support a more intelligent, connected and responsive approach, this cycle will only intensify.

At Netcall, we believe that remaining compliant with Awaab’s Law is about bridging the gaps rather than ripping out and replacing core systems that are already working. Liberty for Housing is designed to act as the intelligent layer between your existing systems, transforming fragmented processes into a unified, automated and fully auditable journey.

Here’s how Liberty for Housing supports you to be compliant with Awaab’s Law:

• A tenant reports mould through a self-service portal
• Liberty for Housing then triages the case, prioritises it and triggers the correct repair workflow automatically
• Internal teams and contractors are notified in real-time
• Tenants receive regular updates, reducing complaints while building trust and tenant engagement
• Dashboards give managers a live view of SLA performance and risk areas – allowing for preventative action.

The Liberty Platform connects your housing management systems, repair tools, contractor portals and communication platforms into one seamless process, without the need for a full system replacement.

Ready to prepare for Awaab’s Law?

Awaab’s Law is not simply a compliance exercise. It’s a wake-up call (and an opportunity)  for housing providers to rethink how they serve, support and protect their residents. By embracing automation, integration and data transparency, providers can shift from crisis management to continuous improvement.

At Netcall, we work in close partnership with housing and care providers to deliver tailored solutions that are practical, sustainable and fully aligned to operational goals. Through workshops, system mapping and consultancy, we help to identify where you are today, uncover the gaps and co-design the path forward. One that puts tenant safety, trust and service at the centre.

This isn’t about making systems digital. It’s about making digital systems responsible, responsive and ready for regulation.

Speak to our housing specialists today.