If you live in social housing, stronger rules mean landlords have to deal with dangerous problems in your home more quickly.
From 30 November 2026, new legal protections will come into force, so more types of hazards – such as broken heating or drainage issues - must be fixed to strict timeframes.
Here’s what the changes mean.
❓ What’s changing?
Right now, landlords must act quickly to fix emergency issues, as well as dangerous damp and mould, under Awaab’s Law. This has been a legal duty since 27 October 2025.
Awaab’s Law was introduced to prevent future tragedies, after a two-year-old called Awaab Ishak died in 2020 after living with dangerous damp and mould.
From 30 November 2026, it will cover more types of non-emergency hazards, so tenants are protected from a wider range of risks in the home and they are treated more urgently.
⚠️ What kind of hazards are covered?
The new rules will apply to seven main types of hazards that can seriously affect your health and safety:
- 🪜 Risks from falling (e.g. unsafe stairs or broken balcony railings)
- 🧱 Structural problems (e.g. unsafe walls or ceilings)
- ⚡ Electrical faults
- 🐀 Hygiene issues (e.g. pests, drainage or sanitation problems)
- ❄️ Excess cold and heat (e.g. heating failure or broken windows)
- 🔥 Fire risks
These are the kinds of problems that can put people at risk, especially children, older people and those with disabilities and health conditions.
⏱️ How quickly will problems be fixed?
The new law sets clear legal deadlines for landlords to act.
🚨 If something is dangerous straight away:
Landlords must:
- investigate the problem and
- make it safe within 24 hours
⚠️ If something is serious but not immediately dangerous:
Landlords must still act quickly. They must:
- 🔍 Investigate within 10 working days
- 📝 Tell you what’s wrong and what they’ll do within 3 working days in a written summary
- 🔧 Carry out urgent safety work within 5 working days of the investigation, meaning your home will be made safe within 15 days or less
- 🏗️ Start longer-term repairs within 12 weeks
🧑⚖️ Why this matters
These stronger rules mean:
- Tenants will no longer be left waiting for serious problems to be dealt with
- More types of dangerous conditions are now covered by Awaab's Law
- Landlords are legally required to act within clear deadlines
Landlords are expected to prepare now so they are ready. Further changes will follow in 2027, so the strict rules under Awaab’s Law covers all the remaining housing hazards in Housing Health and Safety Rating System (apart from overcrowding which is addressed differently to repairs).
See the full press release here.
❓ Q&A
Q: Do all problems have to be fixed within 24 hours?
No. Only problems that are dangerous immediately must be made safe within 24 hours. Other serious issues still have strict deadlines, but slightly longer.
Q: Who decides how serious a problem is?
Landlords make the initial assessment, but they must communicate decisions to tenants and follow a clear safety framework. Tenants can challenge decisions through existing routes like complaints processes, councils’ housing departments, the courts and the Housing Ombudsman.
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