Government opens consultation on extending Awaab's Law to private renters
The Ministry of Housing says more than 5 million more households in England could gain legal repair deadlines for severe damp and mould if the law is widened beyond social housing.
The government has opened a consultation on extending Awaab's Law to private renters in England, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced on 8 October 2026.
The law already applies to social housing, where it sets legal deadlines for landlords to fix dangerous damp and mould. The ministry says the consultation will look at how it is introduced for private renters and which other types of accommodation should benefit in future, including temporary accommodation for homeless people and families, accommodation for young people leaving care, and supported housing.
According to the ministry, extending the law to these additional types of housing could more than double the number of households protected by repair timescales, from 4 million to around 9 million homes. It says over 5 million more households could benefit.
The ministry says around one in 10 private rented homes have a hazard at the most serious level, category 1, which already requires landlords to act. The Renters' Rights Act recently introduced fines of up to £7,000 where these serious dangers are found.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said:
Irrespective of tenure, all renters have the right to live in a safe and decent home and have complaints responded to in a timely manner.
Awaab's Law is already helping to drive up standards in the social housing sector. We're now moving to extend it to private landlords so that England's 11 million private renters can enjoy the same protections.
The ministry says the changes were commitments in the Renters' Rights Act and the National Plan to End Homelessness. The law is named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to damp and mould.
Holly Williamson, Chief Executive of Generation Rent, said:
Homes are the foundations of our lives. But too many renters live in homes that are harmful to our health and often wait months for landlords to act on issues. We're pleased to see the government moving forward with bringing in Awaab's Law. It must be put in action as soon as possible to make sure every renter can live in a good quality home.
Francesca Albanese, Director of Policy & Social Change at Crisis, said the charity directly supports people who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation such as hostels and B&Bs, "which can often be damp, mouldy and harmful to their health".
The consultation closes on 18 December 2026. The ministry says it will help decide how Awaab's Law is implemented in the private rented sector, including the timescale for the new protections to come into force. An options assessment on the potential impacts is being published alongside the consultation.
