Fixed repair deadlines for damp and mould — "Awaab's Law" — are arriving at different speeds across the UK, and it is easy to assume the rules are UK-wide. They are not. From 6 October 2026, Scotland gives private landlords fixed clocks to investigate and start repairing reported damp and mould. England has those clocks in the social sector only; the private-sector extension is not in force and has no confirmed date (widely expected around 2027). Wales runs a separate fitness-for-habitation regime with no Awaab-style deadline. Here is the side-by-side, kept general and pointed at the official sources — because housing law is devolved and the detail is what gets enforced.
Keep a dated damp & mould log for free →General information, not legal advice · last reviewed 8 October 2026 · these are different legal systems — verify Scottish duties on gov.scot, English duties on GOV.UK and Welsh duties on gov.wales
Scotland's Awaab's Law comes into force 6 October 2026 and is reported to cover most private tenancies as well as social lets. Fixed working-day windows to investigate and begin repairs replace the old "reasonable time". Verify on gov.scot.
Fixed clocks apply in the social sector (phased in from late 2025). The private-sector extension under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 needs separate regulations and a consultation and has no confirmed date — widely expected around 2027, not a commitment. Verify on GOV.UK.
No Awaab-style clock. Wales uses the fit-for-human-habitation duty under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 — a continuing obligation (serious damp and mould can make a home unfit), not a fixed repair deadline. Verify on gov.wales.
The trap: don't assume "UK-wide". Housing law is devolved and the three nations are on visibly different timetables. If you let in more than one nation, you have separate regimes to track. The specific duties and any figures below are the shape of each regime — confirm the exact, enforceable detail in the official guidance and the legislation for that nation.
A general comparison of the position at the time of writing. It is not legal advice and not a substitute for the official guidance for each nation.
Wherever you let, remember the separate baseline below: existing law already requires you to deal with damp and mould, with or without an Awaab's Law clock.
From 6 October 2026, once a tenant tells you about a qualifying damp or mould problem, you no longer have open-ended time to respond. The regulations set fixed working-day windows for each early stage. The exact number of days for each is set out in the Scottish Government guidance and the regulations — treat the stages below as the structure and confirm the precise periods on gov.scot.
A competent person must investigate the reported problem within a defined window of working days of you becoming aware of it. The guidance notes this may need a specialist inspection in more complex cases.
A written summary of the findings must go to the tenant within a short further window of working days after the investigation ends.
If substantial damp or mould is found, remedial work must start within a further defined window of working days after the investigation concludes — faster where there is an emergency.
For private landlords the duty to finish is framed as doing so as soon as reasonably practicable, rather than a single fixed completion deadline. Where other law requires a faster response, that shorter deadline applies.
The practical effect: a dated record of what was reported and when, and what you did about it, stops being good practice and becomes how you prove compliance. A landlord who logs every report and response meets the clocks comfortably; one relying on memory is exposed. The guidance is also clear that you must not dismiss a report as "lifestyle" without investigating.
Awaab's Law applies to social landlords, with fixed repair timescales phased in from late 2025 and widening to more hazards over time. For private landlords it is not in force: the Renters' Rights Act 2025 provides the power, but separate regulations and a consultation are needed first and no date has been set. Commentary points to around 2027. Ignore any claim that it "applies to the England PRS from October 2026" — that is wrong.
Wales is not covered by England's or Scotland's rules. The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 requires a rented home to be fit for human habitation, judged against the matters in the 2022 Fitness Regulations, and serious damp and mould can make a home unfit. It is a continuing duty, not an Awaab-style fixed repair clock.
The baseline everywhere: even where the fixed clocks haven't arrived, you are not off the hook on damp and mould. Rented homes generally have to be fit to live in, and councils can already assess hazards and require landlords to act. The honest takeaway isn't "relax" — it's "the specific timeframes aren't here yet in England and Wales, but the underlying duty already is." Confirm your nation's position on GOV.UK or gov.wales.
Whichever regime you are under — a live Scottish clock, the England social-sector rules, a coming England PRS extension, or the Welsh fitness duty — the single habit that protects you is the same: capture every report and every response, with dates. It doesn't speed up a repair, and it isn't a way around the rules. It just means that if you are ever challenged, you can show a clear timeline instead of relying on memory.
Honest about it: LandlordProof does not inspect for damp or mould, carry out repairs, or give legal advice — that's for qualified people and you. It's a record-keeping and reminder tool that keeps your per-property timeline and certificates together. See the compliance tracker and how tenants can report repairs by WhatsApp with a dated trail.
This page is the overview. For the specifics, our guides go a level deeper:
Set up a free account for your first property in about a minute. Keep every damp-and-mould report, inspection and repair together with dates, alongside your certificates and reminders, so your timeline is current if you ever have to rely on it. No card, no trial countdown.
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