Does Awaab's Law Apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

Awaab's Law — the statutory repair timeframes introduced by the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 — applies to England only. Housing is devolved across the UK, so Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales each set their own rules.

But "doesn't apply" does not mean "nothing is happening." Scotland is introducing its own version of Awaab's Law with very similar timeframes, also taking effect in October 2026. Northern Ireland has no confirmed equivalent legislation at the time of writing. Here is the current position for each jurisdiction.

For the full breakdown of the English requirements, see The Complete Guide to Awaab's Law.

Scotland: Awaab's Law Equivalent from October 2026

The Scottish Government announced that Awaab's Law protections will come to Scotland through the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025. The specific regulations — the Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026 — are reported by Scottish law firm TC Young as coming into force on 6 October 2026.

Scottish timeframes

The Scottish version closely mirrors the English requirements:

Step	Scotland	England
Investigation by competent person	10 working days from notification	10 working days from becoming aware
Written summary to tenant	3 working days after investigation	3 working days after investigation
Commence repair work	5 working days after investigation	5 working days after investigation (make safe)
Maximum completion (substantial damp/mould)	20 working days from notification	No fixed maximum (supplementary works: begin within 5 working days, physically start within 12 weeks)

The 20-working-day maximum completion deadline for substantial damp and mould is a Scottish addition — the English regulations set a supplementary works timeline but do not impose a hard maximum. This means Scotland's version is, in some respects, stricter.

Who it applies to

The October 2026 regulations apply to registered social landlords in Scotland. The Scottish Government has stated it will consider extending the requirements to the private rented sector after engagement with the sector, but no date has been set for this.

Tenant compensation (Scotland only)

The Scottish regulations include a compensation mechanism not present in the English version. If a landlord fails to commence an investigation or repairs within the statutory timeframes, tenants can claim:

• £15 initial payment plus £3 per working day until the investigation or repair begins
• Capped at £100 per breach

This is a direct financial penalty for non-compliance — unlike England, where enforcement relies on court action and Housing Ombudsman complaints.

What Scottish providers should do now

If you manage social housing in Scotland, the October 2026 deadline gives you the same preparation window as English providers facing Phase 2. The actions are similar:

• Map your current repairs processes against the Scottish timeframes
• Ensure your tracking system calculates working-day deadlines correctly
• Set up a written summary process (templates, responsible officers, 3-working-day workflow)
• Review contractor response times against the 5-working-day commencement deadline

The deadline calculator uses English bank holidays — Scottish bank holidays differ slightly (for example, St Andrew's Day on 30 November is a Scottish bank holiday but not an English one). Check your working-day calculations against the Scottish bank holiday calendar.

Northern Ireland: No Equivalent Legislation

Northern Ireland has no confirmed Awaab's Law equivalent legislation identified at the time of this review. Housing legislation in NI is set by the Northern Ireland Assembly, and the current framework for housing standards is significantly older.

Current NI housing standards

The main housing legislation in Northern Ireland is the Housing (NI) Order 1981, which sets a basic "fitness standard" for properties (Article 46). The most recent private tenancy legislation is the Private Tenancies Act 2022, which came into effect in April 2023 — but this covers deposit protection, rent advance limits, and notice periods, not repair timeframes.

Neither piece of legislation imposes anything like the statutory investigation and repair deadlines that Awaab's Law requires in England or Scotland.

Will NI introduce similar protections?

Housing Rights NI has advocated for the Northern Ireland Assembly to bring forward legislation offering similar protections. However, there are no confirmed plans, no draft legislation, and no announced timeline. Given the pace of housing reform in NI, this is unlikely to change quickly.

For NI housing providers who want to get ahead: the English and Scottish timeframes (10 working days to investigate, 5 to commence repairs, 3 for written summary) represent emerging best practice across the UK. Adopting these standards voluntarily puts you ahead of any future legislative requirements and reduces complaint risk in the meantime.

Wales

Wales is not covered by Awaab's Law. The Welsh Government has its own housing standards framework under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS). As of March 2026, there is no announced plan to introduce Awaab's Law equivalent timeframes in Wales, though the Welsh Government has referenced the English approach in policy discussions.

Summary: UK-Wide Position

Jurisdiction	Awaab's Law?	Legislation	In force	Applies to
England	Yes	Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023	Phase 1: Oct 2025. Phase 2: expected 2026	Registered social housing providers
Scotland	Equivalent	Housing (Scotland) Act 2025	Oct 2026	Registered social landlords
Northern Ireland	No	None planned	N/A	N/A
Wales	No	None announced	N/A	N/A

The direction of travel is clear: statutory repair timeframes are becoming the UK standard for social housing. England led with Phase 1 in October 2025. Scotland follows in October 2026. Northern Ireland and Wales have not yet announced equivalent measures, though the broader regulatory direction favours stricter enforcement across all tenures.

For English providers: the requirements are already in force and expanding. See Awaab's Law Guidance for Housing Officers for a practical summary, and use the Phase Checker to see which hazard types are covered under each phase.

If you want automated deadline tracking for Awaab's Law compliance, join the HazardClock waitlist — we are building an affordable compliance tracker for providers under 5,000 units.

This is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm your compliance obligations against the guidance published by your jurisdiction's government: GOV.UK (England), gov.scot (Scotland).

Sources

• Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 (c. 36) — legislation.gov.uk
• Awaab's Law to come to Scotland — gov.scot
• The Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 – Repairs for Registered Social Landlords — TC Young
• Renters' Rights Act and what it could mean in Northern Ireland — Housing Rights
• Housing (Wales) Act 2014 — legislation.gov.uk