The introduction of Awaab’s Law on the 27th October 2025 is approaching fast, and whilst Awaab’s Law may have been written with social landlords in mind, you can be sure that it will soon change the landscape for estate agents and letting agents too.
The new law has made clear that the message from the government is that damp and mould are no longer ‘maintenance issues’, but risks to peoples health – and they should be treated as such.
What does this mean for the different people working as estate and letting agents though?
What Does Awaabs’ Law Mean for Estate Agents?
Right now Awaab’s law does not directly bind estate agents into following the new rules, but that doesn’t mean that this will change in the future, and it doesn’t mean that estate agents aren’t going to see any direct impacts.
For example, the public awareness of damp and mould has skyrocketed throughout the UK, and buyers are now much more aware of the risks that damp and mould can pose in a property, with lenders becoming more cautious as well.
Legal & General recently reported that 22% of buyers who skip surveys later discover damp in the property, and with this in mind we expect estate agents are going to start seeing more survey requests from cautious buyers and tenants.
In fact, 67% of people would be deterred from buying a property showing signs of damp, which is a good indication that whilst more survey requests can be expected, we might also see an uplift in landlords looking for urgent help, and more disputes and conflict when issues aren’t handled with the expected evidence and credibility that could soon be the norm.
Our advice to estate agents would be to prepare clear processes to establish damp problems with trusted partners, keeping you ahead of the competition.
What Does Awaabs’ Law Mean for Letting Agents?
Because letting agents sit much closer to the front line changes of Awaab’s law, we anticipate that expectations placed on letting agents are going to rise quickly.
Tenants often report damp and mould issues to letting agents first, and even though Awaab’s law does not yet apply to the private housing market, the message from the government is clear: faster responses are needed from those who provide housing, and the level of accountability for the likes of letting agents is on the rise.
In light of Awaab’s law coming into effect for social housing, and its looming enforcement over private lettings, letting agents should consider the following factors:
- Faster escalation – Potentially review your complaints process. Can you log and action repairs more quickly? Delays risk complaints or claims.
- Educate landlords – Some still see damp as “cosmetic.” Help advise them it’s now considered a health, compliance, and liability risk.
- Pre-tenancy checks – Build damp and mould inspections into your landlord packages. Prevention is cheaper than remedial work(s).
- Work with qualified partners – Unqualified contractors could expose you and your landlords. Timberwise surveys and treatments are backed by decades of expertise and accreditations.
How Can Timberwise Help Estate & Letting Agents with Condensation, Damp, and Mould?
Having been in the property care industry for over fifty years, we know how damp, mould, and timber issues can potentially cause a buyer extra worry, slow down the sale of a property, or even trigger complaints to a landlord which could kick off a lengthy dispute.
This is where we can help.
Our damp and timber surveys are trusted by buyers and vendors alike, with our membership in the Property Care Association required by many vendors when they request specialist damp surveys. Plus, with our membership to Which? Trusted Traders, Checkatrade, Safecontractor, and more, our customers are never in doubt when it comes to the trustworthiness and knowledge of our teams.
We deliver a full, written report once our survey is complete, which will contain all of our findings, as well as our recommendations on any further work needed to free the property of any damp or mould problems it may have, all in a clear, unbiased format, giving the current owner or landlord an actionable list they can rely on.
We can liaise with tenants, or even with estate and letting agents if needed, completing our reports quickly, meeting letting and estate agents need for a fast turnaround.
Timberwise offer long term guarantees on all completed work as well, meaning that any damp or timber problem that does require further remediation will be protected for a long time, giving any tenant or potential buyer peace of mind.
If you want to learn more about how Timberwise can help with the implementation of Awaab’s Law, then you can read more on our HabiTEK page, or give our team a call directly on 0800 288 8660.
