In a surprise announcement over the weekend, campaigning charity Shelter has slammed a delay to Awaab’s Law announced by Housing Secretary Angela Rayner.

Until now the charity and the new Labour government appear to have been singing from the same hymn sheet but at the end of last week Rayner announced a phased implementation of Awaab’s Law.

From October this year, Awaab’s Law will force social landlords to fix damp and mould as well as carry out emergency repairs. The government says it will then “take a step-by-step approach to make the law stronger over time so that landlords will be legally required to fix all dangerous hazards from 2027. These repairs will have to be delivered within set timescales to ensure that landlords are meeting their responsibilities.”

But it adds that social landlords must continue to fix dangerous issues in their homes before Awaab’s Law is fully implemented. They already have a duty to keep their homes fit for human habitation and to remedy disrepair, and they must also ensure that their homes meet the Decent Homes Standard. 

“Awaab’s Law will set clearer and stronger laws to ensure that tenants are living in safe homes” says a government statement.

This is backed up by a statement from Rayner herself who says: “”We have a moral duty to ensure tragedies like the death of Awaab Ishak never happen again. Landlords cannot be allowed to rent out dangerous homes and shamelessly put the lives of their tenants at risk. Our new laws will force them to fix problems quickly, so that people are safe in their homes and can be proud to live in social housing.”

However this is not good enough for Shelter.

Outgoing chief executive Polly Neate says: “Four years after Awaab’s death, and nearly two years after the Social Housing Regulation Act received Royal Assent, [Rayner’s] announcement means social housing tenants will have to wait years longer for this vital protection. These delays to implementation represent a real risk to the health and safety of tenants, and puts lives at risks.  

“The government must make good on their promise and fully and swiftly implement Awaab’s Law. But social housing still has a vital role to play in providing decent, secure homes that are genuinely affordable for people – to do that it desperately needs more government investment to both improve existing homes and build new ones.”

The government says that in the coming months it will bring forward further reforms designed to drive up standards across social housing and to build greater trust and transparency between landlords and tenants. 

The government will introduce powers through the Renters’ Rights Bill to extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, consulting on how to achieve this “in a way that works for the sector and is fair and proportionate for tenants and landlords.”

It will also consult on a new Decent Homes Standard and minimum energy efficiency standards, to ensure homes are made safe, warm, and free from disrepair. And it will legislate to require social landlords to carry out electrical safety checks at least every five years, as well as mandatory appliance inspections on all electrical appliances that are provided by the landlord.