The death of toddler Awaab Ishak in 2020 is a tragedy which should never have happened. The two-year old died from respiratory failure caused by prolonged exposure to mould inside the housing association home where he lived with his parents.

Awaab's parents had repeatedly raised the mould issue with their landlords, but no action was taken.

The family weren't alone living in unhealthy housing – in 2023, 7% of social rented homes had a damp problem and 4% had hazards rated at the most dangerous 'category 1' level.

But Awaab's story – and his preventable death at such a young age – led to an understandable outcry by his parents and a campaign which moved public opinion. As a result, Awaab's Law comes into force next month. It introduces a new legal requirement designed to protect tenants and make social housing safer, healthier, and more accountable.

The first phase of the new legislation takes effect on 27 October, 2025. It imposes strict timelines on landlords to investigate and remediate dangerous conditions in social housing, particularly damp and mould. It marks a cultural shift in how housing associations must listen, act, and support tenants.

As digital transformation, CX and AI specialists in the housing sector, FourNet is well placed to assist housing associations to keep tenants safe, as well as helping them to comply with, and surpass, legal expectations which the tough new regulations introduce.

What is Awaab's Law?

Awaab's Law stems directly from public outrage at the circumstances surrounding Awaab Ishak's death.

His parents, supported by charities and campaigners, fought tirelessly to ensure no other family should suffer as they did. The law was introduced through the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, and its influence is already set to extend further with future application to private landlords under the Renters' Rights Bill.

Its purpose is clear:

• To enforce rapid investigation and repair of health hazards in housing.
• To create accountability for landlords.
• To ensure every tenant in the UK lives in a safe, decent home.

Former deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner MP, speaking before she resigned, said: "We have a moral duty to ensure tragedies like the death of Awaab Ishak never happen again. Landlords cannot be allowed to rent out dangerous homes and shamelessly put the lives of their tenants at risk. Our new laws will force them to fix problems quickly, so that people are safe in their homes and can be proud to live in social housing."

• From October 2025, social landlords will have to address damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm to tenants to fixed timescales.
• Social landlords will also have to address all emergency repairs including for damp and mould or other hazards as soon as possible and within no longer than 24 hours.
• In 2026, requirements will expand to apply to a wider range of hazards including excess cold and excess heat; falls; structural collapse; fire, electrical and explosions; and hygiene hazards.
• Then in 2027, the requirements will expand to further hazards as defined by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) Regulations 2005.

What Tenants Can Expect

For the first time, tenants have legal guarantees over how quickly their complaints will be addressed. Emergency hazards must be tackled within 24 hours. Significant hazards, such as mould, must be inspected within 10 working days.

Landlords must provide written updates, keep thorough records, and either remediate the issue quickly or provide alternative safe accommodation.

Awaab's Law also gives tenants the right to escalate complaints to the Housing Ombudsman or to the courts if standards aren't met or breaches take place.

Over time, the law will expand to cover a broader range of health and safety risks beyond damp and mould.

How Must Housing Associations Comply?

For housing associations, this isn't simply about fixing leaks or repainting walls. It's about fundamentally changing how they manage tenant relationships, data, and accountability.

Housing associations must now proactively investigate hazards, keep up-to-date records, and implement policies that prioritise tenant health. They will face legal penalties, enforcement and reputational damage if they fail.

Tenants will have new powers to hold housing associations and landlords accountable, with the law written directly into tenancy agreements.

Tenants may be able to demand safe alternative accommodation at no cost.

The challenge for housing organisations is not just responding to complaints within strictly enforceable deadlines but proving compliance through clear evidence, monitoring, and follow-up visits.

To ensure swift and effective compliance, FourNet's expertise in customer experience (CX), digital transformation and data integration will prove essential.

What Happens If Standards Aren't Met?

The consequences of failing to meet the regulations are deliberately tough on landlords.

Housing associations that fail to act face civil penalties of up to £7,000, potential criminal prosecution, rent repayment orders, or compensation claims.

Local authorities are empowered to issue improvement notices, and tenants will have greater access to legal redress.

Government ministers have made clear that the point of these sanctions is to drive culture change so that issues of damp, mould, health or hazard complaints cannot be ignored or left unresolved.

How FourNet can help

Meeting Awaab's Law is not just a compliance exercise, it is a transformation challenge for those organisations involved. That's where FourNet's expertise, tools and services can assist. Housing associations will need to adopt data models, such as the HACT UK Housing Data Standards to track repairs, monitor hazards, and identify vulnerable tenants. Interaction analytics and case management systems will be vital to flag repeat issues, highlight patterns of risk, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

FourNet's solutions, ranging from cloud-based CX platforms to AI and Automation tools such as Auto-Wrap and Auto-Summary, make it possible to:

• Capture and categorise every tenant interaction in real time.
• Help identify complaint patterns and risk factors.
• Unify case management and ensure auditable compliance
• Provide written summaries of cases now required under the law.
• Automate workflows to ensure deadlines are met.
• Integrate siloed systems so every staff member sees a single, auditable tenant journey.

This isn't simply about compliance. It's about creating a proactive, transparent, resident-first service model where every tenant knows their voice is heard and their safety is prioritised.

Compliant Advice

To meet the requirements of Awaab's Law and embrace its spirit, housing associations should already have begun preparing for all phases of the legislation, but the October 27th deadline is looming fast.

That means moving quickly to ensure repair and complaint-handling processes are audited and compliant, upgrading record-keeping systems and training staff in their new legal duties. It also means investing in CX and data analytics platforms that ensure robust case management and monitoring.

FourNet works with housing associations and public sector organisations across the UK to deliver exactly this kind of transformation and our solutions will help your organisation comply with the new laws.

From deploying secure, cloud-based contact centre solutions to implementing AI-powered interaction analytics, FourNet helps organisations put residents at the centre of their operations.

From October, that will mean meeting legal deadlines for emergency repairs, but also going further in building trust, empowering tenants, and proving accountability at every step.

Check out our guide on how to support vulnerable customers.

A future under Awaab's Law

Awaab's Law represents one of the most significant shifts in UK housing regulation in decades. But it is more than a legal framework. It is an opportunity to rebuild trust between

landlords and tenants, to deliver safe and healthy homes, and to create a culture where tenant voices are central.

For housing associations, compliance will require new processes, new data standards, and new ways of working.

With FourNet's expertise, we can help you build the systems and support needed to comply with the letter of the law while assisting housing associations and other public sector organisations to go much further with the help of the latest technology.

Read more about how Analytics can keep tenants safe and landlords compliant.