Consultation to extend Awaab’s Law to PRS announced
Industry bodies have welcomed a government consultation on extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector.
The consultation, launched by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), seeks views on how the legislation should apply to private rented homes and certain types of accommodation occupied under licence. It closes on 18 December 2026.
Awaab’s Law was introduced in the social housing sector and sets legally enforceable timescales for investigating and addressing hazards such as damp and mould. The government is now consulting on extending the protections to private renters, which was addressed in 2022.
The government said it was committed to extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, arguing too many tenants live in poor-quality accommodation.
It highlighted that the private rented sector has the highest proportion of unsafe housing, with one in 10 homes containing the most serious category 1 health and safety hazards.
The government said the legislation would introduce clear deadlines for landlords to address serious hazards and give tenants powers to challenge unsafe living conditions.
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Isobel Thomson, chief executive of Safeagent, said the organisation supported the aims of the consultation, arguing that it could provide greater protection for tenants living in sub-standard housing.
She said: “Safeagent supports the intention behind the consultation so that tenants in the private rented sector, who perhaps have landlords who have no care for their welfare or wellbeing and let sub-standard housing, are given much-needed protection.”
However, Thomson stressed that enforcement would be key to the success of any new rules.
“As we have seen with other standards and regulations already in place, where there is legislation without proper enforcement, very little will change,” she added.
Focus on implementation
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) also backed the principle behind the proposals, while emphasising the need for effective implementation.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said the death of Awaab Ishak in a social rented home was “an unimaginable tragedy that should never have happened” and argued that the law should ensure no landlord can continue to let dangerous housing.
Beadle welcomed Matthew Pennycook’s recognition that the private and social rented sectors operate differently.
“Today’s consultation rightly recognises that there are important differences between the private and social rented sectors, and for the law to be effective, it must be designed and applied appropriately,” he said.
Like Thomson, Beadle argued that regulation alone would not be enough. He said landlords who fail to meet existing standards have too often avoided accountability because enforcement action is rare.
“Changing the law means nothing unless it is properly enforced without exception or favour, and irrespective of tenure,” he said, adding that responsible landlords wanted to see rogue and criminal operators removed from the sector.
