Damp and mould are no longer treated as a routine repairs issue in social homes. Since October 2025, Awaab's Law has given tenants in England legally enforceable timeframes for the investigation of serious hazards, and Awaab's Law 2026 extends the scope of the law to many more hazards. For social landlords, housing associations and local authorities, the challenge is clear: identify each potential hazard earlier, take action faster and keep clear evidence that every step was reasonable. Smart temperature and humidity sensors are one of the most practical tools to support that work, day after day.
Awaab's Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his family's flat in Rochdale. Following the coroner's report, the government introduced new legal requirements for social landlords through the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. The detailed rules are set out in the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025, and the government has published non-statutory guidance for social landlords to help each landlord apply the regulations in practice.
The law applies to social landlords in England: housing associations and other registered providers, as well as local authorities that own and manage homes. It covers social tenancies and the homes let under them, so every landlord in the sector needs a process to ensure each hazard is assessed, investigated and made safe within the legal timeframes. Awaab's Law applies whatever the size of the landlord, and the same investigation and emergency requirements apply to a small housing association and to a large local authority.
The law is being introduced in three phases:
See the government’s Phase 2 guidance for social landlords for the expanded requirements.
For many landlords, Phase 2 is the real turning point. Excess cold and excess heat are directly linked to indoor temperature, so continuous temperature data becomes relevant not only to damp and mould, but to two new categories of hazard. Fire is also in scope, which makes reliable smoke detectors and a clear maintenance process part of the same safety strategy.
The landlord's duties start on the day it has knowledge of a potential hazard. That knowledge can come from a tenant report, a contractor visit, a surveyor or any other relevant source of information, and the guidance makes clear that information received by staff in the course of their work can count as the landlord's own knowledge; independent contractors need clear procedures for reporting concerns to the landlord. The key requirements are:
| Situation | Timeframe |
|---|---|
| Emergency hazard | Investigate and make the property safe within 24 hours |
| Significant hazard | Investigate within 10 working days of the day the landlord becomes aware |
| Written summary to the tenant | Within 3 working days of the investigation |
| Safety work for a significant hazard | Complete within 5 working days of the investigation concluding |
| Further preventative works | Begin, or take steps to begin, within 5 working days; physically start as soon as possible and within 12 weeks |
If the home cannot be made safe within the required timeframes, the landlord must offer suitable alternative accommodation. The written summary must set out the investigation findings, the steps the landlord will take and the expected timescale for works. The regulations also require clear records showing how each report was assessed, which working day each step took place on and why decisions were made. Scotland is introducing its own version of Awaab's Law, with guidance for landlords in Scotland, so providers across the UK are moving in the same direction.
Under the regulations, a working day excludes weekends and bank holidays. In practice, 10 working days normally spans two working weeks, or longer where bank holidays intervene: a report received on a Friday must lead to an investigation within the following 10 working days, not 10 calendar days. Counting working days correctly is essential, and the guidance expects landlords to log the date and time of each report, the working days elapsed and the action taken at each stage. Emergency hazards are different: the 24 hours run continuously, including weekends and bank holidays, so out-of-hours teams and contractor rotas must be able to make the property safe at any time. Clear procedures help ensure that the required action is taken and that the written summary reaches the tenant on time.
The guidance distinguishes between two levels. A significant hazard is one that poses a significant risk of harm to the health or safety of a tenant, and must be investigated within 10 working days. An emergency hazard poses an imminent and significant risk of harm and must be dealt with within 24 hours. In both cases, the landlord must consider the relevant information about the household, such as young children, older residents or people with health conditions, because the same damp, cold or mould problem can be more serious for some tenants than for others. Good data helps the landlord make that judgement and record the steps taken.
The requirements are implied into social tenancy agreements. If a landlord fails to comply, tenants can take legal action for breach of contract and may be awarded compensation, as well as an order to carry out the necessary works. Residents can also complain to the Housing Ombudsman, and the Regulator of Social Housing can take action where a landlord's failures are systemic.
Mould grows where moisture meets cold surfaces. When relative humidity stays above roughly 70% for long periods, or when walls and window reveals stay cold, condensation forms and fungal growth follows. The potential harm to health and safety is serious:
The difficulty for social landlords is that condensation problems rarely appear in a single day. They build up over weeks, often unseen, until a tenant complains about visible black spots on a wall. By then, the clock is already running.
The guidance describes a clear sequence of steps. Following it consistently is the best way for a social landlord to show that each hazard was handled in line with the law.
Each of these steps depends on accurate, timely information. Monitoring data from connected sensors can support every stage of the process, from the first alert to the evidence that the safety work has removed the risk.
Excess cold is one of the most common hazards in English homes, and from 30 November 2026 it falls within the scope of Awaab's Law. Under the HHSRS, the risk of harm increases significantly when indoor temperatures fall below about 18°C, particularly for older tenants and those with health conditions. A landlord will need to investigate a significant excess cold hazard within 10 working days and make the property safe, for example by repairing a broken boiler, restoring heating or providing temporary heaters.
Temperature data helps a landlord understand whether a home is persistently cold because of the heating system, poor insulation, faulty thermostatic radiator valves or the way heating is used. It also provides evidence of the conditions in the property before and after the works, which is relevant information for the written summary and for any later complaint.
Damp and mould monitoring with connected sensors turns an invisible process into relevant, measurable information. A compact sensor such as the NEXELEC FEEL, placed in a bedroom, living room or bathroom, records indoor temperature and relative humidity every few minutes, day and night, and sends the data to a central platform.
Continuous monitoring helps social landlords to:
Awaab's Law sensors do not replace investigations, tenant complaints or the legal timeframes. They give teams objective information and earlier warning, so they can investigate sooner, take the relevant safety steps and ensure each home is safe. In other words, sensors help landlords spot a risk before it becomes a hazard, and use that data to plan action rather than react to it.
Humidity alone does not tell the whole story. A home at 65% relative humidity and 21°C is very different from one at 65% and 14°C, where cold walls are likely to reach the dew point. Adding CO2 measurement shows whether rooms are ventilated enough: high CO2 levels at night often mean windows and trickle vents are closed and moisture from breathing, cooking and drying clothes has nowhere to go. NEXELEC indoor air quality sensors such as RISE, WAVE or SENSE combine temperature, humidity and CO2 in a single device, giving housing teams the relevant information to identify the cause of the risk and agree practical steps with the tenant.
The network technology behind a sensor matters as much as the sensor itself. LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is particularly well suited to large social portfolios:
For housing associations rolling out humidity sensors for social housing across thousands of homes, these benefits mean lower installation costs, minimal disruption for tenants and reliable information over the long term.
NEXELEC is a French manufacturer of connected sensors for indoor air quality measurement and monitoring, smoke and gas detection. Its solutions are designed for building managers and social landlords who need dependable, discreet and easy-to-deploy devices that ensure reliable data.
Combined with clear alert thresholds and a defined response process, NEXELEC sensors help teams move from reactive repairs to preventive management of condensation and excess cold.
To be ready before Phase 2 comes into force on 30 November 2026, social landlords can take the following steps:
Does Awaab's Law apply to private landlords?Awaab's Law currently applies to social landlords in England. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 gives the government a power to extend similar requirements to the private rented sector in the future.
Are sensors required under Awaab's Law?No. The regulations set timeframes and record-keeping requirements, not specific technologies. Sensors are a practical way to identify hazards earlier and support compliance with the guidance.
What humidity level indicates a condensation problem?As a rule of thumb, relative humidity consistently above 60–70%, especially in cold rooms, significantly increases the likelihood of condensation and fungal growth.
What is an emergency hazard under Awaab's Law?An emergency hazard is a hazard that poses an imminent and significant risk of harm to the tenant's health or safety. Under Awaab's Law, the landlord must investigate an emergency hazard and carry out emergency safety work within 24 hours. Examples of an emergency include a gas leak, a total loss of heating in very cold weather or an unsafe electrical installation.
What happens during an Awaab's Law investigation?An Awaab's Law investigation is an assessment of the property to establish whether a hazard is present and how serious it is. The regulations allow the investigation to be carried out by a competent person, and the law requires the landlord to share the investigation findings with the tenant. Sensor data can support the investigation by showing how temperature and humidity have changed over time.
What support is available to help landlords comply with Awaab's Law?The government's non-statutory guidance, the Housing Ombudsman's learning resources and sector bodies such as the National Housing Federation all provide support. The law and the regulations do not require any specific technology, but connected sensors give landlords the knowledge and evidence required to show that each investigation, emergency response and repair was handled in line with Awaab's Law.
When does Phase 2 of Awaab's Law start?Phase 2 is scheduled to start on 30 November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval, and extends the same deadlines to excess cold, excess heat, falls, fire, electrical and other hazards.
Awaab's Law 2026 raises the bar for social landlords: more hazards in scope, strict timeframes and a clear expectation of evidence-based decisions. For every social landlord, the law now requires a prompt investigation of each emergency and significant hazard, backed by reliable information. Smart temperature and humidity sensors give housing associations and local authorities the early warning and the information they need to ensure homes stay safe and to prevent damp, mould and excess cold before they cause harm to tenants.
Want to find out how NEXELEC sensors can support your damp and mould monitoring strategy? Contact our team or request a quote to discuss your project.