Awaab's Law: New Social Landlord Legislation

From 27^th October 2025, major changes to housing regulations will kick in, designed to tackle one of the housing sector’s most persistent and dangerous problems: damp and mould.

These aren’t just guidelines; they’re legal requirements. Under Awaab’s Law, named after the tragic death of 2-year-old Awaab Ishak due to prolonged mould exposure, social landlords must now investigate and resolve reports of damp and mould within fixed timeframes, and repair emergency hazards within 24 hours.

Who’s affected?

If you’re a social landlord or housing association, these changes apply directly to you. But they also have huge implications for installers, particularly those working in domestic ventilation and property maintenance.

“In 2023, 7% of social rented homes had a damp problem and 4% had hazards rated at the most dangerous ‘category 1’ level” - www.gov.uk

At CEF, we’re here to make sure you’ve got the right tools, tech, and know-how to meet these new requirements head-on—quickly, efficiently, and confidently.

What's the solution?

Step 1: Monitor conditions with environmental sensors

Tracking humidity and temperature across a property is the first step to identifying the root causes of damp and mould. We stock reliable, data-driven products that make it easy.

Aico Ei1020 Environmental Sensors

• Monitor temperature and humidity

• Easy wall or ceiling installation

• Sealed 10-year lithium battery

• Link to SmartLINK Gateway for remote data access

Aico Ei1000G SmartLINK Gateway

• Securely extracts and transmits sensor data

• Supports remote diagnostics and action

Step 2: Improve air quality with ventilation products

Once you've identified a problem, ventilation is the solution. Whether you’re dealing with new builds, upgrades, or retrofits, we’ve got the units and know-how to help you meet updated Part F Building Regs and deliver safer, drier homes.

PIV - Positive Input Ventilation

PIV is a form of whole-house ventilation. PIV systems dilute and displace unhealthy air in buildings, replacing it with clean, fresh and filtered air.

PIV systems work by drawing fresh air in through a unit generally installed in the loft. This clean air is filtered and diffused at ceiling level, creating positive pressure that forces the stale and unhealthy air out of the home.

Benefits for installers and landlords when choosing PIV systems to help comply with new regulations:

• Provides fresh filtered air into the home

• Cost-effective way of removing condensation

• Proven to prevent damp and mould

• Good retrofit option - PIV units can be installed in any residential property

• Produce almost no noise, even when running at full speed

• Low running costs

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dMEV - Decentralised Mechanical Extract Ventilation

Decentralised Mechanical Extract Ventilation is a continuous, energy efficient ventilation solution.

dMEV fans are generally installed in bathrooms, utilities or kitchens and operate continuously at almost silent levels to extract moist and polluted air.

dMEV units provide the following features for improving air quality:

• Continuous ventilation

• Selectable trickle speeds ranging from 4 to 30 l/s

• Boost functionality up to 35 l/s

• Humidity sensors to enable boost mode based on increased humidity levels

Benefits for installers and landlords when choosing dMEV systems to help comply with new regulations:

• Improved indoor air quality through continuous extraction of moist and stale air

• Simple to install and maintain

• Near silent operation

• Existing extractor fan ducting can often be utilised, so they’re simple to retrofit

• Energy efficient – dMEV fans benefit from lower energy consumption than traditional intermittent fans

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This is your opportunity

This isn’t just a regulatory challenge, it’s a chance to grow. Installers who can offer compliant, efficient, and smart ventilation solutions will be in high demand. Whether you’re upgrading existing systems or fitting new builds, CEF has the stock, expertise, and support to get you job-ready.

Got questions? Pop into your local CEF branch or speak to your account manager. We're here to help you stay ahead and stay compliant.

You can read the full government statement on the regulation changes here.