Navigating Awaab’s Law: How Housing Providers Can Achieve Compliance with ClaimControl
The introduction of Awaab’s Law, under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, marks a pivotal shift in social housing management. Prompted by the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak due to prolonged exposure to mould, the law enforcers strict remediation timelines for hazardous living conditions, particularly damp and mould, with a legal requirement to address urgent hazards within 24 hours of reporting.
Social housing providers face growing pressure: failure to act risks legal penalties, tenant compensation claims, reputational damage, and ultimately, jeopardises tenant safety. Traditional manual systems are often insufficient to meet these tight deadlines and tracking requirements.
ClaimControl, a cloud-based incident and claims management platform, empowers housing providers to efficiently manage disrepair claims, track compliance, and maintain audit-ready records. This whitepaper explores the law’s implications, operational risks, and demonstrates how ClaimControl ensures landlords can meet regulatory requirements, protect tenants, and streamline operations.
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Understanding Awaab’s Law
Background
Awaab Ishak’s death highlighted systemic issues in social housing management. The UK Parliament recognised that over 20% of social housing units suffer from damp or mould, emphasising the urgency of reform. Awaab’s Law ensures that landlords are held accountable for timely remediation of hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
Key Requirements
| Phase | Effective Date | Hazards Addressed | Required Action |
| Phase 1 | Oct 2025 | Damp, mould, and emergency hazards | Remediate within 24 hours |
| Phase 2 | 2026 | Broader HHSRS hazards | TBD |
| Phase 3 | 2027 | Full HHSRS compliance | TBD |
Landlords must maintain records to demonstrate compliance. Delays can result in fines of up to £30,000 per incident and civil claims by tenants.
Operational Challenge
Average remediation times currently exceed legal targets:
| Region | Avg. Remediation Time (Days) | % Homes with Damp/Mould |
| North East | 7–10 | 23% |
| North West | 5-9 | 21% |
| London | 6-8 | 19% |
| South East | 4-7 | 18% |
| South West | 5-8 | 20% |
These figures highlight the need for streamlined, accountable processes in housing management.
Risks of Non-Compliance
Health Risks
- Damp and mould contribute to respiratory illnesses, asthma, and allergies.
- Children and elderly tenants are disproportionately affected.
- Poor housing conditions exacerbate health inequalities and can result in long-term medical costs.
Financial and Legal Risks
- Fines and legal costs per breach can be substantial.
- Tenant compensation claims may range from £5,000 to £20,000 per household.
- Reputational risk can affect funding, tenant retention, and regulatory ratings.
Operational Risks
- High volume of complaints increases staff workload.
- Manual tracking systems are prone to errors and missed deadlines.
- Lack of audit trails makes defending compliance difficult.
The Role of ClaimControl in Compliance
ClaimControl provides centralised, cloud-based management of incidents, claims, complaints, and insurance risks, designed specifically for insured organisations. It removes operational friction while ensuring full compliance with Awaab’s Law.
Core Capabilities
Incident & Claims Management:
- Record details of health & safety incidents, claims, complaints, disrepair, legal cases, and actions.
- Capture financial information: reserves, payments, recoveries.
- Set up master and sub-claims, link policies, and track excesses.
- Maintain audit logs for all changes, including date, time, user, and updates.
Document & Image Management:
- Upload and associate documents and images with claims and incidents.
- Drag-and-drop multiple files or upload via email.
- Preview documents online without downloads.
- Automatic GPS mapping of images for location tracking.
- Integration with SharePoint or other document management systems.
Workflow & Notifications:
- Configure automatic workflows for task assignment and escalation.
- Automatic notifications for overdue actions or pending approvals.
- Integrated diary system for task tracking.
- Customisable alerts ensure deadlines are visible and actionable.
Policy Management:
- Link policies to claims and incidents.
- Track policy coverage, premiums, excess, and stop-loss thresholds.
- Generate enhanced policy reports, including stop-loss alerts and cost-to-premium analysis.
Reporting & Analytics:
- Ad-hoc and scheduled reports, including KPI, trend, causation, and SLA tracking.
- Export reports to Excel or PDF.
- Triangulation of financial data across multiple claims and time periods.
- Geographic reporting of incidents and claims.
Infrastructure & Security:
- Cloud-based; supports agile working and home working.
- GDPR-compliant, ISO27001 certified.
- Multi-factor authentication, access control by role or data sensitivity.
- Secure environment with annual penetration tests and vulnerability scans.
Operational Benefits for Housing Providers
Using ClaimControl, housing providers can:
- Reduce remediation times through automated tracking and alerts.
- Ensure audit-ready compliance with detailed logs and policy linking.
- Improve tenant satisfaction by transparently tracking complaints and repairs.
- Simplify financial reporting across reserves, payments, and recoveries.
- Maintain centralised oversight across multiple sites, properties, and teams.
Case Studies
Mid-Size Housing Association
Before ClaimControl: Avg remediation 72 hours, tenant satisfaction 60%.
After ClaimControl: Avg remediation 24 hours, tenant satisfaction 90%.
Significant reduction in missed deadlines due to automated alerts and task assignment.
Council
- Managed 1,200 pending claims efficiently.
- Achieved 96% compliance with 24-hour remediation requirement.
- Streamlined reporting to regulators with audit-ready documentation.
Strategic Recommendations
- Digitise Claims and Incident Management: Replace manual logs with centralised tracking.
- Implement Automated Workflows: Ensure deadlines are tracked and escalated.
- Centralise Document and Image Management: Maintain all records in one secure location.
- Integrate Policy Management: Link claims to coverage for accurate reporting and compliance.
- Use Configurable Reporting: Generate KPIs, trend reports, and SLA monitoring to stay proactive.
Implementation Roadmap
| Step | Action | Timeline |
| 1 | Audit current claims and repair workflows | Month 1 |
| 2 | Configure ClaimControl, import historical claims | Month 2 |
| 3 | Train staff and implement workflows | Month 3 |
| 4 | Go live and monitor KPIs | Month 4 |
| 5 | Review and optimise processes | Month 5-6 |
Conclusion and Call to Action
Awaab’s Law represents both a regulatory imperative and an opportunity to improve operational efficiency, tenant safety, and trust. Compliance requires speed, accuracy, and auditable processes—all of which ClaimControl delivers.
By adopting ClaimControl, housing providers can:
- Track incidents, claims, and complaints efficiently.
- Ensure remediation deadlines are met consistently.
- Maintain secure, auditable records for regulators.
- Improve tenant satisfaction and operational transparency.
Take Action Today
Protect your tenants. Ensure compliance. Achieve operational excellence with ClaimControl.
