The government is consulting on how the statutory powers will be implemented. Existing fitness, repair and hazard duties continue. The social-housing timetable must not be applied automatically to a private landlord.
Understand what is being proposed
The English private-rental consultation opened on 9 October 2026 and closes on 18 December 2026. A consultation describes proposals and asks for views.
- Keep proposals separate from duties already in force. Do not put proposed investigation or repair deadlines into a notice as though they are current private-landlord law.
- Check the scope of the consultation, including the types of tenancy and licence being considered. Social housing rules do not automatically apply to a private tenancy.
- Record any later government response, regulations and commencement dates separately. An announcement of intended action is not the same as commencement.
Improve the repair process now
Existing repair and fitness duties already require action. Operational preparation can be useful without presenting proposed deadlines as law.
- Keep a single record from the first damp or mould report through investigation, communication, work and follow-up.
- Agree who assesses urgent cases and who covers absence. Make sure an agent's or contractor's report reaches the person responsible.
- Review contractor capacity and the quality of investigation reports. Identify recurring delays or cases closed after cosmetic treatment.
Recheck before changing a legal workflow
When a government response or implementing measure appears, compare it with the proposal rather than assuming the final version is identical.
- Confirm the country, private or social sector, commencement date, transitional arrangements and any exceptions.
- Update affected guidance and templates together, retaining the previous version and the source for the change.
- Tell staff which requirements are current and which preparations are internal service targets. Do not describe a voluntary target as a statutory deadline.
Example: an internal target is shorter than the law requires
A fictional landlord chooses to assess every mould report quickly under its own service policy. That can be described as its response target. It should not be labelled an English private-sector Awaab deadline while the proposed legislation is still under consultation.
What to do
- Continue to investigate and resolve reported hazards promptly.
- Read the current consultation and later government response.
- Check regulations and commencement before adopting statutory deadline calculations.
Evidence to keep
- Repair reports and actions
- Dated record of the rules relied on
Sources and guidance
- Consultation: extending Awaab’s Law to private tenanciesUK Government · checked 20 October 2026
- Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act: landlord guideUK Government · checked 20 October 2026