Deputy Prime Ministers Announcement on Awaabs Law and Electrical Safety
Thursday 26th of June 2025
On 25 June 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner delivered a formal statement to the House of Commons outlining new statutory measures under Awaab’s Law, alongside proposed electrical safety requirements for social housing providers. The announcements form part of the government’s wider agenda to improve safety and responsiveness across the social housing sector.
Awaab’s Law: Statutory Timeframes for Hazard Response
The government confirmed that Awaab’s Law, named in memory of Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who died from prolonged exposure to mould in his social housing home, will be enforced from October 2025. The law introduces legal timeframes for landlords to act on reported health and safety hazards, including damp and mould.
Key requirements for landlords include:
- Investigation of hazards within 10 working days of a tenant report
- Written summary of findings within 3 calendar days following the inspection.
- Emergency repairs (e.g. life-threatening issues) addressed within 24 hours.
- Where not possible, suitable alternative accommodation must be offered.
These duties will apply to social landlords in England and are being phased in across different hazard types through 2025 - 2027.
Enforcement routes include:
- Complaints to the Housing Ombudsman.
- Legal action through the courts if landlords do not comply.
A public-facing “Make Things Right” campaign and updated tenant guidance are expected to accompany the rollout.
Electrical Safety: New Requirements for Social Landlords
Alongside Awaab’s Law, the government will also introduce mandatory electrical safety regulations in social housing. These are designed to bring the sector in line with standards in the private rented sector and follow lessons from incidents such as the Grenfell Tower fire, which originated from an electrical fault.
Proposed requirements include:
- Five-yearly electrical installation condition reports (EICRs) in all social homes.
- Portable appliance testing (PAT) for landlord-provided electrical appliances.
These measures are subject to consultation but are expected to be implemented across the sector in 2026.
Implications for Tenant Engagement
The measures carry several implications for tenants and landlords:
- Greater clarity and consistency: Tenants will now have a clear legal framework outlining how and when landlords must respond to key safety issues.
- Improved accountability: Tenants will be able to escalate unresolved issues via established routes, backed by statutory duties.
- Proactive communication: Social landlords will need to ensure their tenants are fully informed of their rights and responsibilities under Awaab’s Law and electrical safety provisions.
- Monitoring and adjustment: The government has stated it will adopt a phased, “test and learn” approach, allowing for evidence-based improvements informed by tenant and sector feedback.
Your Voice Matters
A lot of the positives in this announcement have been significantly down to the lobbying done by Tpas members. We have held a number of sessions with civil servants who have been keen to hear the views of tenants around the implementation of the law and we have within hours of the announcement received notification that the government is keen to work with us going forward on the implementation and monitoring of Awaabs Law.
Watch this space.