Extension of Awaab's Law places greater focus on cold homes
The government has announced extensions in Awaab’s Law protections in social housing, introducing new legal requirements on social landlords to investigate a wider range of health and safety hazards within defined timescales from 30 November 2026.
Awaab’s Law was first introduced following the death of two-year old Awaab Ishak in 2020, who suffered a severe respiratory condition due to prolonged exposure to mould in his home.
The new regulations will include additional hazards, including excess cold, which can be caused by issues such as defective heating systems, inadequate insulation and damaged windows. This change reinforces the importance of ensuring tenants can live in homes that are adequately heated, especially as councils continue to address fuel poverty and the impacts of high energy costs.
The announcement highlights the overlap between housing quality, public health and energy affordability. With excess cold now covered by statutory response requirements, local authority landlords may face scrutiny over how heating-related issues are identified and resolved.
Promoting excellence in public services
APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) is a not for profit unincorporated association working with over 300 councils throughout the UK. Promoting excellence in public services, APSE is the foremost specialist in local authority frontline services, hosting a network for frontline service providers in areas such as waste and refuse collection, parks and environmental services, cemeteries and crematorium, environmental health, leisure, school meals, cleaning, housing and building maintenance.
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