What is Awaab's Law?

Awaab’s Law, officially known as the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (`England) Regulations 2025, came into force in its first phase on 27^th October 2025, introducing strict new timescales for social landlords to identify, investigate, and resolve hazards in tenants’ homes within.

In 2026: The requirements will expand to apply to a wider range of Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) hazards beyond damp and mould. These additional hazards will include:

• Excess cold and excess heat.
• Falls associated with baths, etc.
• Structural collapse, and explosions.
• Fire and electrical hazards.
• Domestic and personal hygiene and food safety.

In 2027: This will extend further to apply to all remaining HHSRS hazards (excluding overcrowding) where there is a significant risk of harm.

What is the Building Safety Act 2022?

The Building Safety Act aims to make people safer and feel safer in high rise residential buildings. The Act is a response to the tragedy at Grenfell Tower in 2017, the horrific scenes that took place were a direct result of the serious failing of the building and the management of the properties. The Act aims to ensure that there is accountability throughout the sector, to ensure that those responsible for the safety of high-risk buildings and their occupants are doing what they need to, and that for any mistakes, they are held accountable and made to put them right.

How do I gain access to a property where the tenant will not engage?

Where access is essential, for example, for safety checks or urgent repairs, landlords should follow their established access procedures and legal routes as a last resort. The key expectation is that landlords act reasonably, communicate effectively, and demonstrate persistence while remaining fair and respectful in their approach.

Gaining access is about reasonableness, proportionality and evidence. Where a tenant will not engage, landlords are expected to make sustained, documented attempts to secure access through clear communication, flexibility in appointments, and consideration of any vulnerability or support needs. However, where there is an ongoing safety or compliance risk, continued non-engagement does not remove the landlord’s responsibility, and escalation, including formal warnings or legal access routes, may be appropriate, provided the landlord can demonstrate it has taken all reasonable steps to engage before moving to enforcement.

What will the Regulator of Social Housing assess during a landlord inspection? 

In April 2024, the RSH introduced a new consumer regulation regime, including four updated consumer standards and a programme of landlord inspections. These standards are:

• Neighbourhood and Community Standard.
• Safety and Quality Standard.
• Tenancy Standard.
• Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard (including the Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs)).

Alongside the new standards, the RSH is conducting proactive landlord inspections of all housing providers over 1,000 units to assess their compliance with the standards at least every four years. Providers are graded from C1 to C4, with C1 being the organisation is meeting the requirements of the standards, and C4 being were significant failings have been found. 

How do I accurately measure the height of a building? 

It is important to remember every building is unique, so you must tailor your approach to account for individual factors. Consider what constitutes a floor and storey and be prepared for challenges based on the building's specific characteristics. Measurements must be done on a case-by-case basis, as different circumstances dictate where you measure from.