Awaab’s Law was introduced in October 2025 as a lasting legacy to the two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died tragically after being exposed to extreme levels of mould at his Rochdale home in 2020. 

The legislation ensures that social landlords act swiftly on reported hazards, such as damp and mould, to guarantee all customers live in safe, healthy environments. 

Our commitment to you

Under Awaab’s Law, strict timelines have been set for social housing landlords to respond to and resolve reported issues, including damp and mould. We are fully committed towards taking immediate action to keep you safe in your home and have implemented the following strict timeframes on the basis of the severity of the hazard:

• Emergency hazards
  If an emergency hazard is reported, we will investigate it immediately and ensure to make your home safe within 24 hours of it being reported. 

• Significant hazards
  If a significant hazard is reported, we will undertake the following steps:

• • Investigate: Within 10 working days of becoming aware of the hazard
  • Written update: Within 3 working days of the investigation finishing, providing you with a summary of the findings
  • Make safe: Within 5 working days of the investigation finishing

How to identify a hazard

To ensure repairs are classified correctly and dealt with in the right manner, it is crucial to understand the difference between an emergency hazard and a significant hazard.

Emergency hazards

These pose a serious risk to health or safety and need to be addressed immediately. Some examples include:

• Severe mould: Especially if it is affecting children, the elderly or vulnerable residents
• Gas leaks: Including strong smells of gas
• Electrical safety risks: Unsafe electrics with live wiring exposed or sparking from outlets

Significant hazards

These are not immediate emergencies but serious issues that need to be addressed promptly to prevent harm or major damage. Some examples include:

• Widespread damp and mould: Serious, but not an immediate life-threatening emergency
• Ventilation issues: Faulty fans or poor ventilation causing severe condensation
• Heating problems: Broken heating in mild weather
• Structural cracks: Non-critical cracks that have the potential to worsen

How to report a hazard

Please report any suspected hazard to us immediately. We promise to listen, act fast, and keep you fully updated throughout the process.

• Call us on 0300 365 1111
• Email us at enquiries@ovh.org.uk
• Log into My Account to raise a non-emergency repair request or schedule an appointment