Why Awaab’s Law is a wake-up call for English housing associations

 
When two-year-old Awaab Ishak died in Rochdale in 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his social housing flat, the whole of Britain was jolted awake. His parents had reported the damp and mould on several occasions, yet their pleas were repeatedly ignored or delayed. Awaab's tragic death revealed a systemic failure – and prompted the introduction of Awaab's Law in the Social Housing (Regulation) Act of 2023.

Awaab's Law now compels social landlords to rectify hazards such as mould and damp within set timeframes, under threat of tougher regulatory action. It gives the Housing Ombudsman and the Regulator of Social Housing enhanced powers to intervene in cases of persistent neglect. But beyond legal deadlines, the law is an urgent call for housing associations to overhaul how they log tenant concerns, ensure building safety, and maintain accountable communication at every level.

Key requirements under Awaab's Law

• In accordance with legal deadlines, landlords are required to respond quickly to reports of health hazards such as damp and mold.
• Tenants must be kept fully informed of both temporary measures and long-term remediation plans.
• Failure to act can lead to enforcement notices, financial penalties, and public naming and shaming.

Housing associations often serve society's most vulnerable. When complaints vanish into a clutter of emails, spreadsheets, and handwritten notes, serious health risks can go unaddressed. Poor ventilation and chronic damp accelerate mould growth, which in turn increases respiratory problems and other conditions. Awaab's Law gives regulators more power to hold providers accountable, but legislation alone cannot fill the gaps caused by fragmented processes and outdated technology.

How to prepare for compliance and rebuild trust

1. Audit your current workflows: map out exactly how mould and damp complaints are recorded, tracked, and escalated, and pinpoint where delays occur.
2. Centralise information: adopt a single platform that captures every maintenance request, inspection report, and tenant communication in one place.
3. Train staff and define escalation procedures: ensure all employees know how to flag urgent issues and follow standard operating procedures that automatically alert senior management when deadlines are at risk.
4. Communicate proactively: publish clear guidance for tenants on how to report problems, set expectations for response times, and provide transparent updates at each stage.
   
   

Only when every complaint can be traced from the first report to the final resolution, housing providers will truly be able to meet the spirit of Awaab’s Law. Moving from ad-hoc firefighting to data-driven, preventive maintenance doesn't just satisfy regulators but, crucially, restores tenants’ faith, too. When a landlord can say, “Here is your report, here is the action we took, and here is our next inspection date,” residents feel heard, safe, and valued. Centralised information management is no longer a luxury – it is an essential foundation for safe and humane social housing.