Awaab’s Law: Supporting Housing Providers and Residents with Healthy Homes

As housing providers, you are no doubt aware of the upcoming implementation of Awaab’s Law, a crucial piece of legislation designed to ensure safer and healthier homes for all social housing residents. This new law introduces specific time limits for social landlords to address hazards, putting residents’ well-being at the forefront.

Here’s a quick overview of the phased implementation:

From October 2025: Social landlords will be required to address damp and mould hazards that pose a significant risk of harm to tenants within fixed timescales. Additionally, all emergency repairs (including those related to damp and mould) must be addressed as soon as possible, and within no longer than 24 hours.
In 2026: The requirements will expand to cover a wider range of hazards beyond damp and mould, likely including issues such as excess cold and heat, fire, electrical, and structural safety.
In 2027: Awaab’s Law will apply to the remaining hazards as defined by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), excluding overcrowding.

How Groundwork Yorkshire’s Green Doctor Service Can Be Your Partner

At Groundwork Yorkshire, our Green Doctor service is uniquely positioned to support housing providers in meeting the requirements of Awaab’s Law, particularly concerning issues like damp, mould, and excess cold.

Our trained Green Doctors conduct comprehensive, non-intrusive home energy assessments and well-being surveys. While our primary focus is on energy efficiency and reducing fuel poverty, our expertise naturally extends to identifying and understanding the underlying causes of damp and mould, poor ventilation, and cold spots.

Our surveys can assist you by:

Early Identification: Helping to identify potential damp, mould, or cold issues at an early stage, often before they escalate into significant hazards, enabling proactive intervention.
Resident Engagement: Building trust with residents and gathering vital insights into their living conditions, complementing your existing housing management processes.
Understanding Root Causes: Providing residents with independent advice on ventilation, heating patterns, and moisture management, which can help prevent recurrence of issues.
Signposting: Where structural or significant repair issues are identified, we can effectively signpost residents back to their housing provider for appropriate action, ensuring timely resolution within Awaab’s Law timescales.

By partnering with Groundwork Yorkshire’s Green Doctor service, you can leverage our independent expertise to enhance your proactive approach to resident well-being and compliance with Awaab’s Law. We are committed to fostering vibrant, healthy communities and are ready to support you in ensuring every resident has a safe and comfortable home.

Let’s work together to make homes healthier and more sustainable. To discuss how our Green Doctor service can support your organisation and residents, please contact us today.