Recent years have seen the role of a landlord change considerably, and they now have many legal responsibilities. This includes a duty to maintain a property as safe, secure and habitable. The new Awaab’s Law – introduced in October 2025 – has put further restrictions and duties on a landlord and particularly with regards to how they respond to property repairs. Allowing a tenant to live in a dangerous or uncomfortable property could result in fines or legal actions, so in this guide we aim to outline what the key responsibilities are for landlords and what they need to do today to stay compliant.

The key legal responsibilities of a landlord

From the beginning of a tenancy, and throughout its duration, a property let to a tenant needs to be safe, comfortable and habitable. Essentially this means the property must be:

• Structurally sound and weatherproof.
• Essential services such as heating, plumbing, gas and electrics should be in good working order and suitably maintained.
• There should be no issues with damp or mould.
• Safety systems such as smoke and carbon monoxide alarms should be installed and operational.   

A tenant has a legal right to expect these features listed above, but it is accepted that repair issues can sometimes arise. Where property repairs are required, the tenant must report these directly to the landlord as soon as possible, but also, the landlord must respond as soon as possible. As the landlord you are responsible for key repairs including:

• Structural repairs – such as the roof, guttering, walls, doors and windows
• Plumbing repairs – such as sinks, baths, showers, toilets and drainage
• Appliances supplied as part of the tenancy
• Electrical repairs – such as wiring, sockets and lighting
• Systems – such as heating and hot water systems

As the landlord you are responsible for a repair as soon as your tenant makes you aware of it, and you must carry out the repair within a reasonable length of time. However, if the disrepair has occurred through the tenant’s negligence or behaviour, you may be able to argue that the tenant bears the cost of the repair.

How a landlord can stay compliant with property repairs

A landlord has a number of safety responsibilities when managing a tenancy, and these involve annual gas safety inspections and certification, electrical safety standards inspections, fire safety requirements and energy performance certification. These inspections can all highlight repair issues and improvements which fall under a landlord’s duties. In most cases a landlord will have a reasonable period of time to respond to these findings, usually around 28 days.  

In order to stay compliant a landlord must:

• Conduct regular inspections for gas, electric, fire and energy efficiency compliance and maintain these essential systems.
• Respond promptly to any findings from these inspections.
• Respond promptly to any disrepair reports received from the tenant.
• Tailor their response relative to the severity of the repair, so a repair that is endangering the safety of a tenant should be dealt with immediately as an emergency repair. Others may not be quite so severe and can take a few days to arrange and repair.
• Give tenant’s suitable notice that repairs will be carried out, usually at least 24 hours.
• Maintain detailed records of all these inspections and work carried out, to demonstrate their compliance.
• Maintain a good understanding of current legislation, such as Awaab’s Law.

What is Awaab’s Law?

Awaab’s Law was introduced into UK legislation in October 2025 and follows the case of two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to damp and mould at his parent’s home in Rochdale. This is landmark legislation which is designed to ensure tenants have repairs carried out in a timely fashion and are not left to live in unsafe or uncomfortable conditions.

Awaab’s Law requires landlords to investigate and respond to ‘significant’ or ‘emergency’ hazards within a stricter timeframe. At the moment, this only applies to issues of damp and mould, but this will be extended to cover other repair issues as the legislation becomes fully implemented. Landlords must respond to a report of damp and mould within 14 days, and must complete emergency repairs within 24 hours. While repairs classed as significant, but non-emergency, must be completed within seven days. There are also extended duties placed on the landlord to document repairs, carry out follow-up inspections, inform tenants on inspection findings and work with tenants to prevent damp and mould forming.    

Complying with Awaab’s Law

Landlords need to be proactive in ensuring their compliance with the new Awaab’s Law and the new restrictions placed on them in terms of responding to damp and mould repairs. This should involve professional help from firms such as Redfearn Experts, who work with landlords to inspect properties and find evidence of compliance or non-compliance when it comes to property repairs. Redfearn Experts have developed an app called ‘Awaab Comply’ which can help landlords develop an understanding of the new legislation and to comply with the new requirements.

The Awaab Comply app helps landlords to investigate repair issues on-site, capture data and other forms of evidence and generate comprehensive reports. It is a fast and convenient way to ensure your compliance with Awaab’s Law and your duties in responding to repair issues in rented properties.