You have a patch of black mould behind the wardrobe, a landlord who says "just open the windows more", and a vague memory that the law changed. It did. The change has a name and a date, and it comes with deadlines a landlord cannot talk their way round. Whether it covers your tenancy yet depends on who your landlord is.
Where did Awaab's Law come from?
Awaab Ishak was two years old when he died in December 2020 in Rochdale, from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in the housing association flat his family rented. His parents had reported the mould repeatedly. The coroner's findings in 2022 led to a campaign, and to section 42 of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, which lets the government set fixed repair timescales that become an implied term of every social tenancy.
The first phase came into force on 27 October 2025. From that date a social landlord in England must investigate a reported damp and mould hazard within 10 working days, give the tenant a written summary within 3 working days of finishing, make the home safe within 5 working days if the hazard is significant, and investigate and make safe any emergency hazard within 24 hours. Later phases in 2026 and 2027 add other hazards such as excess cold and electrical faults. If the deadlines are missed, the tenant can go to court for breach of tenancy.
Does it cover private renters?
Not yet, but it is coming. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 gives ministers the power to apply Awaab's Law to the private rented sector, and also extends the Decent Homes Standard to private lets for the first time. The government has said the Decent Homes Standard will apply to private lets from 2035. It has not set a date for Awaab's Law in private renting, and says it will consult on the detail. Phase one of the Act, including the end of Section 21, started on 1 May 2026, so the eviction risk of complaining has already dropped.
In the meantime, private renters are not without rights. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 means a landlord must keep the property fit to live in, and damp and mould is a listed reason it might not be. Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 puts the structure, leaking gutters and broken extractor fans on the landlord.
What can I do right now?
Report it in writing. An email with the date, a photo, and the words "damp and mould" starts the clock and is the evidence you will need later. Say what you have already tried (heating, ventilation, wiping it down) so the "open the windows" reply has nowhere to go.
If nothing happens, contact the council's environmental health team. They inspect under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, where damp and mould is one of 29 hazards, and can serve an improvement notice a landlord has to act on.
Social tenants can complain to the Housing Ombudsman once the landlord's own complaints process has run. Private renters will get a new ombudsman under the Renters' Rights Act when it goes live. Keep the complaint about the property, not about your chest. Medical evidence is for a solicitor, if it ever gets that far.
What should I look for at a viewing?
Winter is the honest season. Look at the corners of external walls, behind furniture, around window frames and on the bathroom ceiling for spotting or a tide mark. Run the extractor fans in the bathroom and kitchen, and check they are actually wired in. Ask for the EPC: a band E flat with single glazing will run wet in January whatever you do. Ask the landlord what the last tenant reported, and ask, plainly, whether there has ever been a damp problem here. See [check: epc] and [ask: questions-to-ask-when-viewing].
How Eavesdrop checks this
Eavesdrop reads the EPC register for the flat's band and its recommendations, the council's licensing and enforcement records for the address, the Housing Ombudsman's published decisions for named social landlords, and First-tier Tribunal cases involving the landlord where they exist [check: landlord]. Every finding is cited. Before you sign. Eavesdrop.
Quick answers
What is Awaab's Law? A set of legal timescales requiring landlords to investigate and repair damp and mould, named after Awaab Ishak, who died in Rochdale in 2020. It applies to social landlords in England from October 2025.
Does Awaab's Law apply to private landlords? Not yet. The Renters' Rights Act allows it to be extended to private renting, with the date to be set by regulations.
Who is responsible for damp and mould in a rented house? The landlord, where it comes from the structure, leaks or missing ventilation. Tenants are expected to heat and ventilate reasonably, but that is not a defence to a building that runs wet.
Sources: Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023; Renters' Rights Act 2025; Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018; Housing Health and Safety Rating System operating guidance.
