Awaab's Law: a practical damp & mould compliance guide
In short
Awaab's Law requires English social landlords to follow prescribed processes and timeframes for emergency hazards and significant damp and mould hazards. Phase 1 began on 27 October 2025; Phase 2 starts on 30 November 2026. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 provides for a future private-rental extension, but its start date remains TBC.
Are you the housing association, not the surveyor?
DampApp Pro is built for the person carrying out the inspection. If instead you're the housing association or council itself — running Awaab's Law compliance across an entire stock, with statutory clocks, work orders, a central management portal and case-management integration (NEC, Civica, MRI, Aareon and more) rather than one report at a time — that's a different job, and it's what our sister platform HousingSurvey Pro is built for.
See HousingSurvey Pro for housing associations & councils →Awaab's Law sets statutory processes and timeframes for prescribed hazards in English social housing. A contemporaneous, dated case record helps the responsible team show what was reported, investigated, communicated and completed.
The compliance challenge
For Phase 1, social landlords must investigate a potential significant damp and mould hazard within 10 working days of becoming aware of it. They must provide the tenant with a written summary within 3 working days of the investigation concluding and undertake relevant safety work within 5 working days of that conclusion if it identifies a significant hazard. Potential emergency hazards must be investigated and relevant safety work undertaken as soon as reasonably practicable, both within 24 hours of awareness. The duties are phased by hazard type, so always confirm the current statutory scope before relying on a deadline.
Building a defensible audit trail with DampApp Pro
1. Granular hazard logging (offline & on-site)
A targeted defect library for structural damp, condensation and black mould profiling. Surveyors work deep inside high-density residential structures fully offline, with no reliance on mobile reception during critical compliance audits.
2. Time-stamped photographic evidence
DampApp Pro can overlay an EXIF-derived capture time when available, otherwise a clearly identified attachment time, onto photos in the final PDF. This creates a useful dated reference but is not cryptographic proof of the inspection time.
3. Psychrometric evidence for condensation
Log temperature and relative humidity to calculate dew point and surface-condensation risk per BS 5250 — distinguishing a condensation failure from a structural leak with objective data, not opinion.
4. Rapid AI-assisted reporting
Shorthand such as "heavy Stachybotrys chartarum in bathroom corner" expands into structured report prose you review and edit, so the investigation record and contractor instruction go out the same day.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Awaab's Law timescales for damp and mould?▾
In Phase 1, which has applied in English social housing since 27 October 2025, a potential significant damp and mould hazard must be investigated within 10 working days. The tenant must receive a written summary within 3 working days after the investigation concludes, and relevant safety work is due within 5 working days after that conclusion if a significant hazard is identified. Potential emergency hazards must be investigated and relevant safety work completed as soon as reasonably practicable, both within 24 hours of the landlord becoming aware.
Does Awaab's Law apply to private landlords?▾
The current Awaab's Law regulations apply to English social housing. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 provides for equivalent requirements to be extended to the private rented sector, but the government's implementation roadmap places that extension in Phase 3 with the start date still to be confirmed.
What evidence do I need to demonstrate Awaab's Law compliance?▾
A defensible file typically includes the date the hazard was reported, dated investigation findings, photographs with capture timestamps, the written summary provided to the tenant, and the repair timeline. The aim is a clear, contemporaneous audit trail for each tenant case.
Which hazards does Awaab's Law cover?▾
Phase 1 covers all potential emergency hazards and potential significant damp and mould hazards. Phase 2 starts on 30 November 2026 and extends the significant-hazard requirements to excess cold, excess heat, falls, structural collapse and falling elements, fire and explosions, electrical hazards, and domestic hygiene. Phase 3 will extend the rules to the remaining HHSRS hazards except overcrowding; check the current regulations for its commencement date.
How does DampApp Pro help meet Awaab's Law deadlines?▾
DampApp Pro records hazards offline on-site, overlays capture date/time on photos, calculates dew point and humidity to evidence condensation risk, and uses AI report wording to turn shorthand notes into a structured report quickly — so the investigation record and contractor instruction can be produced the same day.
Start building structured case records
DampApp Pro provides timestamped hazard logging and structured reporting for damp and mould workflows. The software does not determine legal compliance or replace the current official guidance.