Awaab’s Law private renters consultation open until 18 December

The government has opened an Awaab’s Law private renters consultation, asking how legal repair deadlines for serious hazards such as dangerous damp and mould should apply to privately rented homes in England. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) says the consultation runs from 9 October 2026 until 11.59pm on 18 December 2026. No date has yet been set for when private tenants would gain the new rights.

What is changing and when: Awaab’s Law expansion to private landlords

Awaab’s Law already applies in social housing. According to the housing minister, Matthew Pennycook, social landlords have been required since October 2025 to deal with emergency repairs, and with damp and mould hazards that pose a significant risk of harm, within fixed timescales. The law was created in memory of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to severe damp and mould.

The power to widen it came through the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, in sections 60 and 61. Using it requires regulations that set what private landlords must do, and that specify which types of accommodation occupied under licence are covered. The consultation is about the content of those regulations. MHCLG says responses will help decide how the rules work in the private rented sector, including when they come into force.

Meanwhile the social sector is moving ahead. Subject to parliamentary approval, a second phase starts on 30 November 2026, covering hazards such as excess cold, excess heat, falls, electrical safety and fire. After the consultation closes on 18 December, the government will analyse responses before laying regulations. The sources do not say how long that will take.

Who is affected: tenant rights in private rented homes, damp and mould

Mr Pennycook said England has 11 million private renters. MHCLG says around one in 10 private rented homes has a hazard at the most serious level, known as category 1, and 22% fail basic standards for a safe, decent and warm home. Landlords must already act on category 1 hazards, and the Renters’ Rights Act introduced fines of up to £7,000 where they are found.

Awaab’s Law would add legal deadlines to that existing duty. The Housing Health and Safety Rating System, which defines the hazards, covers problems including dangerous damp and mould, electrical faults, homes that cannot be heated properly, and causes of falls and trips. The government’s figures show how far the reform could reach.

The consultation also asks whether the law should reach temporary accommodation for homeless households, supported housing and care leaver accommodation, where people hold a licence rather than a tenancy. Together with private tenancies, the government says this would take coverage up by more than 5 million households.

What supporters and critics say about private rental sector housing standards reform

Charities and tenant groups have welcomed the plan while pressing for speed. Holly Williamson, chief executive of Generation Rent, said: “Too many renters live in homes that are harmful to our health and often wait months for landlords to act on issues.” She said the law “must be put in action as soon as possible”.

Morgan Vine, director of policy and influencing at Independent Age, said some older renters it speaks to have “rats in their floors and mould on their walls but are too scared of the repercussions to ask their landlord to make repairs”. The charity said 96% of the older renters it polled supported Awaab’s Law. Crisis said damp, mouldy temporary accommodation such as hostels and B&Bs harms people’s health.

The published material contains no response from landlord groups. The government itself acknowledges that the private sector is “very different” from social housing and that extension “presents a number of distinct challenges”. It says it wants an approach that is “fair, proportionate and effective for both tenants and landlords”, and Part 3 of the consultation asks landlords, licensors and agents for evidence on costs.

What to do now

If you rent privately, nothing changes in your home yet. Your landlord’s existing duty to act on serious hazards continues, and the government says private tenants can no longer be evicted for no reason. The consultation cannot resolve a repair problem in your own home, and MHCLG asks respondents not to include names, addresses or other sensitive personal data.

To have your say, use the online survey on the consultation page, which the government strongly encourages. You can also email [email protected] or write to the Awaab’s Law Consultation team at the Private Rented Sector Strategy, Security and Standards Division, 3rd Floor, Fry Building, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF. You do not have to answer every question: a private tenant can answer only the questions on tenancies in Part 1.

Landlords and agents may want to concentrate on Part 3, which seeks evidence on impacts and costs. The deadline is the same, 18 December, which is ten weeks after the consultation opened.

Your questions answered

Does Awaab’s Law apply to my private rented home now?

No. It currently applies to social housing only. The government says private renters will be next, but the regulations have not yet been made.

When will private renters get the new rights?

There is no date. MHCLG says the consultation will inform the timescale for the protections to come into force.

Does this cover Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?

The consultation says the proposals apply to England only.

Who can respond?

Tenants, people living under licence, landlords, agents, councils and charities can all respond. Each section of the survey lets you choose to answer or skip.