The Awaab's Law timescales, explained properly
Four deadlines, two speeds, and one thing almost everyone gets wrong about when the counting starts.
The four deadlines
| Stage | Emergency hazard | Significant hazard |
|---|---|---|
| Investigate | 24 hours from becoming aware | 10 working days from becoming aware |
| Written summary of findings to you | Covered by the 24-hour duty | 3 working days after the investigation concludes |
| Work to make the home safe | 24 hours from becoming aware | 5 working days after the investigation concludes |
| Further preventative work | As soon as reasonably practicable | Begin within 5 working days, complete within 12 weeks |
The thing people get wrong
The 5 working days for safety work does not run from your report. It runs from the day the investigation concludes. So on a significant hazard, the worst case from report to safety work is roughly 10 working days plus however long the investigation takes to conclude plus 5 working days. That is around three to four weeks in real time, not five days.
The 12-week preventative work window sits on top of that again. Awaab's Law is a meaningful improvement on an open-ended wait, but it is not a fast-track repair service, and it is worth knowing that before you assume your landlord is in breach.
Write down every date: when you reported it, when anyone visited, when you got anything in writing. A simple list of dates is the single most useful thing you can hand to the Housing Ombudsman later, and almost nobody has one.
Does the same apply in Scotland?
No. Scotland has different timescales under its own rules, in force from 6 October 2026, and they cover private landlords as well. See our Awaab's Law in Scotland guide.
Common questions
When exactly does the clock start?
When your landlord becomes aware of the hazard. In practice that means the date of your report, which is why reporting in writing matters so much. If your landlord finds the hazard themselves, for example during a gas safety visit, the clock starts then.
What counts as a working day?
Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. Weekends do not count. So 10 working days from a Monday report is two full weeks later, and longer if a bank holiday falls in between. The 24-hour emergency deadline is not in working days, it is 24 real hours.
What is the difference between an emergency and a significant hazard?
An emergency hazard poses an imminent and significant risk of harm and must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours. A significant hazard poses a significant risk of harm but not an imminent one, and gets the 10 working day investigation timescale. Your landlord decides which it is, but you can challenge that decision through their complaints process.
Can my landlord extend the deadline?
Only in limited circumstances outside their control, and only if they tell you, give a revised timeframe, and take reasonable steps in the meantime. Not being able to get a contractor is usually not enough on its own. Silence is never acceptable.