Millions more households could benefit from stricter repair deadlines for landlords, as the government launches a consultation on extending Awaab’s Law to private rented homes and other types of accommodation.

Awaab’s Law was introduced in social housing last year, establishing legal deadlines for landlords to investigate and address dangerous damp and mould.

The legislation was named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in 2020 following prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s social housing home in Rochdale.

The government has now launched a consultation on how the law should be introduced for private renters. The move was first mooted in 2024.

The law could also be expanded to include temporary housing for homeless families, accommodation for young people leaving care and supported housing for older, disabled and other vulnerable people.

Extending the law to these additional housing types could more than double the number of households covered by legally enforced repair timescales, from around four million to approximately nine million homes.

Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said all renters, regardless of the type of tenancy they have, should be able to live in safe and decent homes and expect landlords to respond to complaints promptly.

“Awaab’s Law is already helping to drive up standards in the social housing sector,” he said. “We’re now moving to extend it to private landlords so that England’s 11 million private renters can enjoy the same protections.”

The government said the changes form part of its commitments under the Renters’ Rights Act and the National Plan to End Homelessness, with the aim of ensuring dangerous housing conditions are dealt with quickly.

Around one in 10 privately rented homes has a category one hazard, the most serious classification under the housing hazard system. Landlords are already required to take action when such hazards are identified, and can face enforcement measures if they fail to address them.

The Renters’ Rights Act has also introduced fines of up to £7,000 where serious hazards are found. The government says extending Awaab’s Law would go further by requiring landlords to act within specific deadlines, rather than allowing dangerous conditions to remain unresolved.

The consultation will run until 18 December 2026 and will help determine how the law is implemented in the private rented sector, including when the new protections should come into force.

Holly Williamson, chief executive of Generation Rent, welcomed the plans but urged ministers to implement the law as soon as possible.

“Homes are the foundations of our lives,” she said. “But too many renters live in homes that are harmful to our health and often wait months for landlords to act on issues.”

Older renters could also benefit from the proposed changes. Morgan Vine, director of policy and influencing at Independent Age, said some older tenants had reported problems including rats beneath their floors and mould on their walls but were too frightened of the consequences to ask landlords to carry out repairs.

Vine said renters of all ages deserved safe and suitable homes and welcomed the opportunity for affected tenants to contribute to the consultation.

She added that 96% of older renters polled by the organisation supported Awaab’s Law, stressing that any extension must take account of tenants’ needs and empower them to request necessary repairs.