Damp & Mould
Remediation

Awaab’s Law is a legal amendment introduced under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, created to ensure social housing landlords investigate and resolve hazards such as damp and mould within strict timescales.

The legislation is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who tragically died following prolonged exposure to mould within his family’s social housing property.

Under Awaab’s Law, landlords are required to investigate significant damp and mould hazards within 10 working days of becoming aware of the issue. A written summary of the findings must then be provided within 3 working days of the investigation.

Where a serious hazard is identified, safety or remedial works must begin within 5 working days, while emergency hazards — including severe damp and mould — must be addressed within 24 hours.

Contractors working on behalf of landlords and housing providers are central to achieving compliance with the legislation. Axis supports clients through rapid triage processes, specialist inspections, remedial works delivery, and digital evidence capture aligned with audit requirements.

Axis’ digital offering helps clients demonstrate a clear and auditable record of compliance, including investigation dates, reports issued, works commenced and completed.

The legislation also places greater emphasis on workforce readiness, responsive mobilisation, specialist damp and mould expertise, ventilation improvements, and real-time reporting capabilities that support fast and transparent service delivery.

For social housing landlords, Awaab’s Law introduces clear operational responsibilities, including investigating damp and mould issues within 10 working days, providing residents with written updates within 3 working days, commencing remedial works within 5 working days, and resolving emergency hazards within 24 hours.

The legislation also strengthens tenants’ legal rights through tenancy agreements, meaning landlords must embed compliance across operational procedures, reporting systems, maintenance delivery and asset management frameworks.

Housing providers are expected to invest in stronger data systems, streamlined repair processes, integrated asset management, and long-term maintenance strategies that deliver permanent solutions. Failure to comply could result in regulatory action, legal claims and reputational harm.

Currently, Awaab’s Law applies to registered social housing providers in England and initially focuses on damp and mould hazards.

However, the Government has indicated plans to extend similar obligations to the private rented sector through the Renters’ Rights Bill, although implementation details and timescales are still being consulted on.

Landlords, property owners and managers across all sectors should therefore stay informed and prepare for future compliance requirements rather than assume the legislation will remain limited to social housing.

• Rising damp: moisture from the ground travelling upwards through porous wall structures.
• Penetrating damp (or rainwater ingress): water entering a property through defects such as leaking roofs, damaged render, cracked brickwork or faulty guttering; this can occur at any height within the structure.
• Condensation damp: caused by excessive internal humidity combined with poor ventilation or insufficient airflow, resulting in surface moisture and mould growth on colder surfaces.

Each type of damp has different causes, symptoms and treatment requirements, making accurate diagnosis essential for effective remediation and cost management.

Rising damp occurs when moisture from the ground rises through porous masonry materials by capillary action. It most commonly affects lower wall sections where the damp-proof course is missing, damaged or bridged.

Typical signs include tide marks on walls, salt deposits on plaster surfaces, peeling wallpaper or paint, and occasional timber decay around skirting boards and floor junctions.

Although less common than condensation-related damp, rising damp remains an issue within older housing stock because many historic buildings either lack a suitable damp-proof course or have systems that have deteriorated over time.

Damp and mould issues can develop due to several contributing factors, including:

• Building defects such as failed damp-proof courses, cracked walls, leaking roofs, damaged render or ineffective drainage systems.
• Poor ventilation, inconsistent heating and high indoor humidity leading to condensation and mould formation.
• Water ingress and moisture bridging caused by raised external ground levels, blocked cavities or defective waterproofing systems.
• Delayed maintenance and reactive-only repair approaches that fail to address underlying causes.
• The use of unsuitable finishes or impermeable materials that prevent moisture from evaporating naturally from the building fabric.

Axis delivers a comprehensive damp and mould remediation service, covering everything from specialist mould treatments and fungicidal applications to plaster repairs, timber treatment, damp-proofing systems, waterproofing solutions and ventilation upgrades.

Axis takes a long-term, engineered approach focused on resolving root causes and preventing recurring issues rather than applying short-term fixes.

These services support landlords and asset owners in meeting compliance obligations under Awaab’s Law while protecting resident health and reducing risk across property portfolios.

Axis uses integrated digital workflows to support compliance, reporting accuracy and operational visibility. This includes intelligent triage through IoT sensors and vulnerability flagging, mobile applications for on-site data capture, moisture readings, geo-stamped imagery, automated reporting and digital work-order management.

This end-to-end digital approach provides landlords and housing providers with auditable compliance records, real-time progress tracking, and clear visibility of asset conditions, helping teams deliver faster and more transparent remedial services.