Social landlords in England now forced to fix emergencies within 24 hours

New legal duties follow case of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died after exposure to mould in his home

The first phase of Awaab's law, which promises to protect tenants from dangerous social housing conditions, comes into force in England on Monday, in memory of a two-year-old boy who died after exposure to mould in his home.

The new legal duties compel landlords to fix emergency health and safety hazards within 24 hours of reporting, investigate significant damp and mould within 10 working days of being notified, make properties safe in five working days after inspection and write the findings to tenants within three working days of inspection completing.