Awaab's Law is coming to private renting, and Huntingdonshire landlords have until 18 December to shape it.
The Awaab's Law consultation for private landlords closes 18 December 2026. What Huntingdonshire landlords should check on damp, mould and repairs now.
By Villager Homes lettings team · 27 October 2026
What has the government actually proposed?
On 9 October 2026 the government opened a consultation on extending Awaab's Law to private rented tenancies in England, and to some licensed accommodation. It closes on 18 December 2026. Nothing is in force for private landlords yet: the powers sit in sections 60 and 61 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025, and the earliest feasible start date in the document is 2027.
The social sector already works this way. Its first phase took effect on 27 October 2025, covering damp and mould and all emergency hazards. The private-sector proposals are framed against that model, so it is the best guide to the direction of travel. You can read the full document, with its 64 questions, on the GOV.UK consultation page.
Which decisions are still open?
01
Which hazards?
The consultation asks which of the 21 Housing Health and Safety Rating System hazards should be covered, with damp and mould the obvious starting point.
02
What timescales?
It asks whether the time limits for responding, investigating and repairing should match the social sector or be longer for private landlords. No private-sector day counts are published yet.
03
What triggers it?
It asks at what threshold a hazard obliges the landlord to act, which decides how many ordinary repair reports would fall inside the rules.
04
Who pays for a move?
It asks whether landlords should provide alternative accommodation where a repair cannot be finished in time and there is a significant risk of harm.
Which Huntingdonshire landlords should pay most attention?
Every landlord is in scope, but older stock feels it first. Solid-wall Victorian terraces in Huntingdon and St Ives, period cottages in Godmanchester and the thatched and timber-framed homes of the villages are harder to keep dry and ventilated than a 2010s new build in Brampton. Newer property is not exempt, because condensation from poor ventilation and heating habits causes plenty of mould in modern flats and houses too.
What should landlords do before the rules arrive?
- Inspect for damp, mould and ventilation faults at every routine visit, and keep dated photographs.
- Log every tenant report with the date received, who acted and the date the work was done. Timescales will be unforgiving to anyone without a paper trail.
- Fix the cause, not the stain: extractor fans, trickle vents, gutters and leaking pipework come before a coat of anti-mould paint.
- Pair this with your existing duties. Our landlord compliance guide covers gas safety, electrical checks and alarms, and our landlord services page explains how we manage repairs for owners.
- Respond to the consultation if you have practical evidence on how long investigations and repairs really take.
Our Tenancy MOT is a good way to find the problems before a tenant or a council officer does. If you let through us, our letting agents in Brampton and Huntingdon teams already run this kind of record keeping as standard. For another change landing this winter, see our piece on the landlord database opening on 15 December.
18
December
2026
Consultation closes
About seven weeks to have your say.
Rules are not final and no private-sector timescales have been set. Treat the social sector model as a preview, not a promise.
Sources: GOV.UK consultation "Extending Awaab's Law to private rented tenancies and to licences" (opened 9 October 2026, closes 18 December 2026); trade press coverage by Mortgage Solutions and MPA; Renters' Rights Act 2025, sections 60 and 61. Position as of 27 October 2026.
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