Awaab’s law and smoke alarm compliance: two legal pillars landlords cannot ignore

As housing legislation evolves across the UK, landlords and managing agents face heightened responsibility not only for property maintenance but for tenant safety and wellbeing. Two regulatory milestones have emerged as critical:

> Awaab’s Law entering into force in October 2025

> The Smoke Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015

Though distinct in scope, both legal frameworks share a common mandate proactivity, documentation, and timely response. In today’s rental environment, awareness alone is no longer sufficient. Landlords must demonstrate compliance through measurable action and defensible reporting.

Understanding awaab’s law: from tragedy to national reform

Awaab’s Law was introduced in response to the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020, who died from prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s social housing flat in Rochdale. The resulting public outcry led to a legislative overhaul embedded in the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. While the law is initially directed at social landlords, ongoing parliamentary discussions under the Renters’ Reform Bill indicate a clear intent to extend these obligations to the private rented sector.

Under Awaab’s Law, landlords are now legally required to investigate serious hazards (such as damp, mould, and structural risk) within 24 hours of receiving a tenant complaint. They must then issue written findings within 72 hours, and initiate repairs within 5 working days if the hazard poses a risk to health. These timeframes are non-negotiable. The Housing Ombudsman has been granted enhanced powers to hold landlords accountable for failures in duty, and local authorities are expected to enforce compliance more aggressively, with non-compliance leading to legal proceedings, reputational damage, and operational sanctions.

Estimates from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities suggest that around 7% of social homes in England exhibit serious damp or mould conditions (a figure likely mirrored, though undocumented, in the private sector). For landlords, this means inspection processes must now include comprehensive, timestamped documentation of potential health hazards, particularly during check-in and mid-tenancy inspections. Reports should include photographic evidence, environmental context, ventilation assessments, and cleanliness reviews and not just visual records of damage. At hihouse, our check-in and midterm reports have already been aligned with these expectations, ensuring every property is examined with a health-first lens supported by legally defensible evidence.

Smoke and carbon monoxide regulations: more than a compliance checkbox

Since 2015, the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations have made it mandatory for landlords to install and maintain life-saving detection systems in rental properties. But installation alone does not guarantee compliance. The regulations require that at least one smoke alarm be fitted on every floor of a rented property and that carbon monoxide alarms are installed in rooms containing any solid fuel-burning appliance (such as wood-burning stoves or open fireplaces). What is less widely understood is that these alarms must be tested and confirmed operational on the day the tenancy begins, and that this testing must be formally recorded in the inventory or check-in report.

Failure to comply carries significant penalties. Local authorities are empowered to issue fines of up to £5,000 per breach, and insurers may refuse to cover fire-related claims where evidence of compliance is lacking. More critically, landlords risk civil liability if injury or death results from fire or carbon monoxide exposure in a non-compliant property. As with Awaab’s Law, the emphasis is shifting from technical compliance to operational proof. It is not enough to note “smoke alarm present.” Reports should include model numbers, locations, installation dates, battery status, and photographic documentation. If a property manager cannot demonstrate that the alarms were tested immediately before the tenancy began, they may be found in breach of regulation, even if the alarms were functioning at the time.

At hihouse, our inventory clerks are trained to verify these devices during every check-in and midterm inspection. Our reports include timestamped photographs of smoke and CO alarms, verification of audible test results, and battery condition. These measures not only satisfy legal requirements but offer landlords a layer of risk protection and tenants the assurance of a safe home.

The operational consequences of non-compliance

Both Awaab’s Law and the Smoke Alarm Regulations represent a fundamental shift in how compliance is understood and enforced. Rather than rely on vague standards or best-practice assumptions, landlords must now prove that action was taken, when it was taken, and by whom. Property inventory reports are at the heart of this evidentiary trail. They must capture more than condition, they must reflect intent, action, and verification. A report that omits a visible mould patch or fails to specify the status of a carbon monoxide detector is not just incomplete. It is legally vulnerable.

The consequences extend beyond legal liability. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in rent repayment orders, enforcement notices, tenant compensation claims, and reputational damage on digital platforms where tenants increasingly rate their housing experience. In a Build to Rent context, where institutional investors demand stability, safety, and brand integrity, non-compliance has financial consequences that extend far beyond an individual tenancy.

From compliance to credibility

As regulatory frameworks grow more robust, the role of inventory reports has changed. They are no longer procedural artefacts to be skimmed and filed. They are operational documents of legal standing, consumer protection, and brand reputation. At hihouse, we treat compliance not as a limitation, but as an opportunity to set a new standard for transparency, documentation, and trust.

A well-documented check-in that verifies safety devices, identifies potential health hazards, and presents evidence in a clear, structured, and timestamped manner is not merely compliant. It is defensible. And in the current housing climate, defensibility is the new minimum.