Awaab’s Law: The Impact on Surveyors

The introduction of Awaab’s Law places stricter legal obligations on social landlords to address damp and mould hazards. This new legislation is a direct response to the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020, whose prolonged exposure to black mould in a social housing property led to a fatal respiratory condition.

For surveyors, Awaab’s Law introduces new challenges and responsibilities in ensuring compliance, influencing how inspections, assessments, and reports are conducted.

Awaab’s Law introduces legally binding timeframes for investigating and remedying health hazards in social housing, particularly focusing on damp and mould. The key requirements include:

• 14-day investigation rule – Landlords must inspect reports of damp, mould, or other hazards within 14 calendar days.
• Strict repair deadlines – Once a hazard is confirmed, necessary work must begin within seven days to address the issue.
• Emergency response measures – If a hazard poses an immediate risk to health, action must be taken within 24 hours.
• Tenant protection – Social landlords are now legally accountable for ensuring homes are fit for habitation, preventing delays or neglect that could endanger lives.

While the law came into force in 2025, further expansions are expected in 2026 and 2027, covering additional housing hazards such as excess cold, structural integrity, and fire risks.

Surveyors will play an essential role in enforcing these new standards, ensuring landlords comply with their legal obligations. The impact on the profession includes:

1. Increased Demand for Inspections

The introduction of strict response times means landlords will rely more heavily on surveyors to conduct rapid and thorough property assessments. Surveyors will need to:

• Prioritise urgent hazard inspections, particularly for damp and mould.
• Ensure detailed condition reports are completed within short timeframes.

2. Greater Accountability & Legal Considerations

With landlords now facing legal consequences for failing to act, surveyors’ reports and findings will carry even more weight in legal proceedings. This means:

• Reports must be comprehensive, accurate, and well-documented to support enforcement actions.
• Surveyors may need to testify or provide evidence in cases where landlords fail to act on recommendations.

3. More Rigorous Housing Standards

Awaab’s Law raises expectations for housing quality, meaning surveyors must:

• Keep up-to-date with Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) guidelines.
• Use advanced moisture detection tools to assess damp and mould risks.
• Work closely with landlords to develop effective remediation strategies.

4. Potential Expansion to the Private Rental Sector

Currently, Awaab’s Law applies only to social housing, but there are growing calls for similar measures in the private rental sector. If this happens, surveyors could see:

• Higher workloads, with increased inspections for both social and private landlords.
• A shift in surveyor services to include compliance audits for private rental properties.

Awaab’s Law is a landmark reform designed to protect tenants from unsafe living conditions. For surveyors, this means greater responsibility in identifying hazards, ensuring compliance, and maintaining housing standards.

With stricter deadlines and potential legal implications, surveyors must adapt to quicker turnaround times, more detailed reporting, and an increased workload. However, this also presents an opportunity for the profession to lead in raising housing standards and preventing future tragedies.

As implementation begins, surveyors should prepare by staying informed, upskilled, and proactive in supporting landlords and local authorities with compliance.