SIG Housing Trust Welcomes Awaab’s Law: A Vital Step Toward Safer Homes

SIG Housing Trust proudly welcomes the introduction of Awaab’s Law, a transformative regulation designed to protect tenants from serious health hazards in their homes. This new legal framework, set to take effect on 27 October 2025, establishes clear timeframes for social landlords to investigate and resolve issues such as damp, mould, and other significant risks to health and safety.

What Is Awaab’s Law?
Named in memory of Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who tragically died due to prolonged exposure to mould in his home, Awaab’s Law ensures that social landlords act swiftly and transparently when hazards are reported. Key requirements include:

  • Emergency hazards must be investigated within 24 hours, with immediate action taken to make the home safe
  • Significant hazards must be investigated within 10 working days
  • A written summary of findings must be provided to tenants within 3 working days of the investigation
  • Safety work must begin within 5 working days of concluding the investigation
  • If safety work cannot be completed in time, suitable alternative accommodation must be offered

 

Our Commitment
At SIG Housing Trust, we believe that safe housing is a human right. We are fully committed to implementing the requirements of Awaab’s Law and have already begun reviewing and updating our internal procedures to ensure full compliance.
Our teams are receiving enhanced training to identify and respond to hazards quickly and effectively. We are also upgrading our reporting systems to improve communication with tenants and ensure transparency throughout the resolution process.

Looking Ahead
We support the government’s phased approach to expanding Awaab’s Law. In 2026, additional hazards such as excess cold, fire risks, and structural collapse will be included, followed by all remaining HHSRS hazards in 2027.

This progressive expansion reflects a growing recognition of the importance of healthy living environments and reinforces our shared responsibility to protect tenants from avoidable harm.

Standing With Tenants
Awaab’s Law empowers tenants to hold landlords accountable. If landlords fail to act, tenants will have legal recourse through the courts or the Housing Ombudsman Service. At SIG Housing Trust, we are committed to ensuring that such failures never occur.
We commend the government for taking decisive action and look forward to working collaboratively with our peers, regulators, and local authorities to deliver safer, healthier homes for all.