Ministers have opened a consultation on extending Awaab’s Law into England’s private rented sector, with possible future application to temporary accommodation, supported housing and accommodation for care leavers. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the exercise on 8 October 2026 and said responses will close on 18 December 2026, after which ministers will decide both the design of the scheme and the timetable for commencement. (gov.uk)
The department says more than 5 million additional households could benefit if the policy is extended, taking overall coverage from roughly 4 million to around 9 million homes. The immediate policy effect would not be to create the first duty on landlords to deal with dangerous conditions, because existing law already requires action on serious hazards, but to add fixed legal deadlines for investigation and repair where those hazards arise. (gov.uk)
Awaab’s Law was introduced following the death of Awaab Ishak in 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in his home. In the social rented sector, Phase 1 has applied since 27 October 2025 to emergency hazards and significant damp and mould, while Phase 2 is scheduled for 30 November 2026 to add excess cold, excess heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and explosions, electrical hazards and domestic hygiene; Phase 3 is due in 2027 for the remaining Housing Health and Safety Rating System hazards, excluding overcrowding. (gov.uk)
The current social housing model gives the clearest indication of the framework now under consideration for private renting. Official guidance says social landlords must investigate potential significant hazards within 10 working days, issue a written summary within 3 working days of the investigation ending, carry out relevant safety work within 5 working days where a significant hazard is found, and secure suitable alternative accommodation at their own expense if the home cannot be made safe within the required period. The private rented consultation has not yet confirmed that the same deadlines will apply, but that is the central implementation question now out for consultation. (gov.uk)
The enforcement backdrop in the private rented sector is already tightening. MHCLG says around one in 10 privately rented homes contains a Category 1 hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, and councils have been able since 22 June 2026 to impose financial penalties of up to £7,000 where serious hazards are found, alongside existing housing enforcement powers. The HHSRS itself has also been updated for the first time in 20 years, which matters because it remains the main risk-assessment framework against which dangerous conditions are judged. (gov.uk)
This consultation also sits within the wider implementation programme for the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. According to the government’s roadmap, section 21 no-fault evictions were abolished for the private rented sector on 1 May 2026, the assured periodic tenancy model began on the same date, and later phases will bring in a private rented sector database, a landlord ombudsman and, subject to consultation, the standards package that includes Awaab’s Law and the Decent Homes Standard. For landlords, the practical message is that repairs compliance is moving towards a more prescriptive statutory regime. (gov.uk)
Sector responses published alongside the announcement were broadly supportive. Generation Rent, Crisis, the Renters’ Reform Coalition, Independent Age and Become each argued for faster action on damp, mould and wider disrepair, with particular concern for homeless households, older renters and care leavers. Ministers have also linked the extension to commitments in the National Plan to End Homelessness, which had already signalled consultation on applying Awaab’s Law to temporary accommodation as well as the wider private rented sector. (gov.uk)
For policy professionals, the unresolved questions are scope, commencement and enforcement design. The consultation must settle whether the private rented sector should mirror the social housing deadlines, how far the regime should reach into temporary and supported accommodation, and how councils will apply it alongside existing HHSRS powers. Until ministers publish a response after 18 December 2026, the policy direction is clear, but the operative duties for private landlords are not yet fixed. (gov.uk)