Dr Alex Boote, product and innovation supervisor at ARC Constructing Options, a producer of cavity fireplace boundaries and insulation merchandise
The federal government just lately introduced its plan for Part 1 of Awaab’s Regulation, a brand new piece of laws which is able to come into power on 27 October 2025. It introduces strict, legally-binding timeframes for social landlords to analyze and resolve hazards in housing, which pose a well being and security threat.
Awaab’s Regulation was launched in response to the demise of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020, which was attributable to publicity to damp and mildew in his household residence over an prolonged interval. This tragedy sparked a nationwide outcry for reform inside the housing sector with the goal of stopping such tragedies from occurring once more.
This new legislation imposes clear deadlines for landlords, relying on the severity of the hazard. In emergency conditions, the place a hazard poses a severe menace to well being, landlords should examine and reply inside 24 hours of it being reported. For much less pressing however nonetheless regarding points, landlords have seven days to start the restore work. If made conscious of a matter that could be a hazard, the social landlord has ten working days to analyze and supply a written abstract of their findings to residents inside three working days of finishing that investigation. The place a major well being or security threat is confirmed, landlords have 5 working days to make the property secure, together with implementing short-term measures if needed, and should then perform any additional repairs in an affordable timeframe. If the house can’t be made secure inside the required timeframe, the owner should present various lodging, at their very own value, till the repairs are accomplished.
Landlords should show they’re figuring out hazards, gathering correct data, akin to photographs, humidity readings, and appearing promptly, whereas preserving document of all of it – making a clear path of proof.
That is greater than only a new legislation; it’s an operational change for landlords, a cultural shift for the rental market. Awaab’s Regulation is designed to maneuver the sector away from compliance box-ticking workouts and towards accountability. Nonetheless, this might pose vital challenges for housing suppliers, creating time-consuming jobs and extra prices if not addressed accurately—particularly as budgets are already stretched skinny.
As we head in direction of peak condensation season, this legislation brings a way of urgency to housing suppliers the place delays can now not be the norm.
When October arrives, as a housing supplier, chances are you’ll face a probably overwhelming variety of experiences. The problem will likely be not solely to reply inside the authorized timeframes however to additionally diagnose the hazard precisely. For instance, misdiagnosing penetrating damp for condensation can result in improper repairs, worsening situations, elevated prices, authorized dangers and distressed tenants.
Conducting well being checks throughout your property portfolio forward of time permits points to be recognized and resolved inside adequate lead time. However repairs and retrofits should meet the best requirements and be fitted proper first time – or it might probably worsen the difficulty, creating pointless remediation prices. When retrofitting insulation, consideration should prolong past the partitions however to the eaves too: the joint between the roof and the wall, which is an space all too usually ignored. To neglect the eaves when bettering the insulation in a house is to extend the thermal bridging and thus doubtless intensify the chance of mould and damp. Extra moisture, and thus probably mould, will construct up as a result of decrease temperatures on the surfaces inside the house. This results in rafter rot, which might weaken the structural integrity of the house, and black mould contained in the residing area, which might be detrimental to well being.
Even when installers try to handle the eaves, they steadily neglect air flow, exacerbating damp and mildew issues within the loft area. Efficient eaves insulation and air flow mustn’t solely scale back warmth loss and thermal bridging but in addition preserve important airflow to forestall moisture accumulation. Our Retrofit Eaves Insulator is designed to handle each these points, bettering thermal efficiency whereas guaranteeing correct air flow.
By appearing now, landlords can keep away from the chance of fines, authorized scorching water, and reputational injury. Belief between housing suppliers and the tenants, which might usually be strained, stands to be strengthened via the elevated transparency and accountability inspired by Awaab’s Regulation.
