If you manage residential blocks, you’ll know damp, mould and “urgent” repairs have a habit of turning into long, messy timelines—especially where responsibility is split between leaseholders, freeholders, managing agents, contractors and (sometimes) a social landlord within a mixed-tenure building.
Awaab’s Law changes the tone of the conversation in England’s social rented sector by putting fixed timeframes around how quickly serious hazards must be investigated and made safe. Phase 1 came into force on 27 October 2025.
Even if most of your portfolio is private, it still matters: mixed tenure is common, residents’ expectations have shifted, and these timeframes are rapidly becoming the “gold standard” for what good management looks like.
1) What Awaab’s Law actually covers (right now)
Phase 1 focuses on:
- All emergency hazards, and
- Significant damp and mould hazards (where there’s a significant risk of harm).
The tenant-facing government guidance gives the clearest summary of what “good” looks like in practice.
2) The key timeframes (Phase 1)
These are the deadlines worth building into your internal workflow—because they drive how quickly you’ll need to triage, inspect, instruct and follow up:
- Emergency hazards: must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours.
- Significant damp & mould: must be investigated within 10 working days, and then made safe within 5 working days after the investigation ends.
- Written summary: landlords must provide residents with a written summary of findings (commonly referenced as within 3 working days after the investigation concludes).
- If it can’t be made safe in time: the landlord must offer suitable alternative accommodation.
3) Why block management companies should pay attention
This isn’t about blame—it’s about avoiding delays that are completely predictable.
Mixed tenure turns “their deadline” into “your operational reality”.
If a block includes a housing association or council as a leaseholder (or there are nomination arrangements), Awaab’s Law deadlines can clash with communal responsibility and access constraints. Damp and mould often trace back to roofing, gutters, external fabric, drainage, communal heating/ventilation—things you may be coordinating.
Evidence and communication matter as much as the repair.
Awaab’s Law is built around timeframes, written outcomes and clear next steps. When complaints escalate, the Housing Ombudsman is very focused on hazards and the quality of complaint handling. A clean audit trail protects everyone.
4) What “Awaab-ready” processes look like in block management
You don’t need to copy a social landlord’s entire policy stack. You do need a simple system that prevents drift.
A) Triage properly (not just “log a job”)
Create three categories your team can apply consistently:
- Emergency (make safe fast)
- Significant damp/mould (inspect quickly, protect health, identify cause)
- Routine (standard reactive workflow)
B) Mobilise contractors like you mean it
Timeframes only work if you have the capacity to act:
- clear call-out arrangements (including out-of-hours where needed)
- defined “make safe” actions
- scopes that separate immediate safety from longer remedial works
C) Standardise your written outcomes
Use a one-page template that records:
- report date/time + who reported
- inspection date/time + findings (with photos)
- classification and rationale
- make-safe actions taken
- next steps, responsibilities, and target dates
D) Treat damp & mould as root-cause, not cosmetics
A mould wash might be an interim measure. Your reporting should push toward the cause—penetrating damp, leaks, ventilation/extraction, cold bridging, heating patterns—so cases don’t bounce back repeatedly.
5) A simple 30-day action plan
- Map responsibility per building (demised vs communal vs landlord).
- Set triage rules and escalation scripts.
- Agree contractor response expectations and reporting standards.
- Introduce a hazards tracker reviewed weekly until stable.
- Create a resident update rhythm (what they’ll hear, and when).
How Langford Estates can help
Awaab’s Law is a reminder that good management is mostly about repeatable routines: quick triage, organised records, reliable contractors, and consistent follow-through.
Langford Estates can support landlords and managing clients by coordinating day-to-day compliance-led management—arranging inspections, managing contractors, keeping documentation in order, and tracking actions through to completion.
We also help put simple, practical resident communication processes in place, so serious issues are handled promptly and transparently.