Preparing for Awaab’s Law:
A Practical Guide to UK Social Housing Compliance
16th April 2025
The introduction of Awaab’s Law marks a defining moment for the UK’s social housing sector. Named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who tragically died from prolonged exposure to mould in his home, the law aims to ensure such a failure never happens again. It signals not only a shift in regulation but a transformation in how housing providers must think about safety, responsiveness and accountability.
This guide explains what Awaab’s Law entails and when the compliance deadlines hit. It outline show social housing providers across the UK can respond, by turning regulatory risk into an opportunity to modernise systems and better protect tenants.
Why Awaab’s Law demands more than box-ticking
While damp and mould are at the centre of the legislation’s origin, Awaab’s Law extends well beyond these issues. It sets mandatory timeframes for social landlords to identify and fix a wide range of housing health and safety hazards, from structural faults and electrical risks, to unsafe stairways, poor ventilation and trip hazards.
The legislation demands that providers not only act swiftly, but also maintain clear, transparent processes for doing so. For housing providers, this is not just a regulatory challenge – it is a systems challenge.
Why disconnected systems risk non-compliance
The real demand of Awaab’s Law is cultural. It requires a sector-wide transition from being reactive to becoming truly proactive. Rather than waiting for complaints or responding only when issues escalate, housing providers must embed early detection, consistent monitoring and fast, documented action into their day-to-day operations.
Yet achieving this shift isn’t simply a matter of changing mindset – it requires addressing the technological foundations that support housing operations.
Most organisations are already working within complex digital ecosystems, often comprising a patchwork of housing management systems (HMS), repairs platforms, CRM tools and contractor portals. These systems rarely work in harmony. Instead, they create silos, manual processes and communication breakdowns, making it difficult to act quickly and decisively when tenant health is at stake.
This fragmentation is where the greatest risk lies under Awaab’s Law. Disconnected systems can lead to missed reports, delayed actions, poor visibility and ultimately, non-compliance. And with the legislation entering enforcement stages from October 2025 – with 24-hour repair requirements and escalating coverage of health risks – providers must act fast.
What are the Awaab’s Law deadlines and requirements?
The journey to Awaab’s Law began in November 2022 with the coroner’s report into Awaab Ishak’s death. It gained momentum quickly:
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July 2023: Awaab’s Law included in the Social Housing (Regulation) Act
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October 2025: Legal requirement to address damp and mould that poses serious health risks within 24 hours
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From 2026: Additional hazards (e.g. fire risks, electrical faults, structural hazards) will fall under fixed timeframes
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By 2027: Nearly all hazards listed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) will be covered.
This evolving framework is not just about enforcement – it comes with real legal, financial, reputational and operational consequences. Providers could face forced repairs, compensation claims, legal costs and increased scrutiny.
Even a relatively small number of claims can lead to six-figure liabilities when factoring in disrepair payouts, legal fees, repair costs and regulatory penalties.
Rethinking systems: How to turn compliance risk into opportunity
If you’re a social housing provider today, you may be asking the right questions – but struggling to find the right tools:
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Are we capturing and prioritising every tenant report?
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Where are our workflow gaps or manual handovers?
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Can our systems support 24-hour emergency response times – without overwhelming teams?
The reality for many providers is that existing housing management systems (HMS) do not work in isolation. You might be using one platform for case management, another for repairs and a third for tenant communication. Manual handovers between departments or delayed data entries only exacerbate the issue.
But here’s the good news – meeting the expectations of Awaab’s Law doesn’t mean starting from scratch.
How Netcall’s Liberty platform supports Awaab’s Law compliance
At Netcall, we believe the solution lies in bridging the gaps – not ripping out and replacing core systems that are already working. Liberty for Housing is designed to act as the intelligent layer between your existing systems, transforming fragmented processes into a unified, automated and fully auditable journey.
Here’s how Liberty for Housing supports compliance in action:
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A tenant reports mould through a self-service portal
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Liberty triages the case, prioritises it and triggers the correct repair workflow automatically
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Internal teams and contractors are notified in real-time
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Tenants receive regular updates, reducing complaints and building trust
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Dashboards give managers a live view of SLA performance and risk areas – allowing for preventative action.
Liberty connects your housing management systems, repair tools, contractor portals and communication platforms into one seamless process, without the need for a full system replacement.
The cost of inaction
The Courts are already awarding thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, in compensation to tenants. Common disrepair case awards can range from £500 to over £100,000 depending on the severity, health impact and duration of exposure.
Beyond the financial cost, non-compliance affects:
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Staff capacity and morale
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Operational planning
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Public trust and brand reputation.
Without digital systems to support a more intelligent, connected and responsive approach, this cycle will only intensify.
A turning point for the sector
Awaab’s Law is not simply a compliance exercise. It’s a wake-up call (and an opportunity) for housing providers to rethink how they serve, support and protect their residents. By embracing automation, integration and data transparency, providers can shift from crisis management to continuous improvement.
At Netcall, we work in close partnership with housing and care providers to deliver tailored solutions that are practical, sustainable and fully aligned to operational goals. Through workshops, system mapping and consultancy, we help to identify where you are today, uncover the gaps and co-design the path forward. One that puts tenant safety, trust and service at the centre.
This isn’t about making systems digital. It’s about making digital systems responsible, responsive and ready for regulation.
Ready to prepare for Awaab’s Law?
Speak to our housing specialists or explore how Liberty for Housing can support your compliance journey.
