Awaab's Law evidence pack — free printable PDF template
Property: ____________________________________ Postcode: ______________
Tenant / household (note any health or age vulnerabilities): ____________________________________
Landlord / housing office: ____________________________________ Your reference: ______________
Template version 1.0 — built from the statutory timeframes in the Awaab's Law guidance (source 1). Fill this in as events happen; contemporaneous records are what the Housing Ombudsman and courts weigh.
1. The report (Day Zero)
| Item | Record |
|---|---|
| DATE the hazard was first reported to the landlord | |
| HOW it was reported (portal / phone / email / in person) | |
| WHO reported it (tenant or third party — third-party reports start the clock when the landlord is notified) | |
| What was reported (location, extent of damp/mould, who is affected) | |
| Landlord's stated classification: emergency / significant / out of scope |
2. Communication log
Keep every email, portal screenshot and letter. For phone calls, note the time and who you spoke to.
| DATE | WHO (name/role) | CHANNEL | SUMMARY of what was said/ promised |
|---|---|---|---|
3. Statutory deadline tracker
| STEP | STATUTORY DEADLINE | DUE DATE (work from Day Zero) | ACTUAL DATE DONE | EVIDENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation (significant hazard) | 10 working days from Day Zero | |||
| Emergency investigation + make safe | 24 hours from awareness | |||
| Written summary of findings | 3 working days after investigation ends | |||
| Relevant safety work complete | 5 working days after investigation ends | |||
| Preventative work started | within 5 working days (or physically started within 12 weeks) | |||
| Alternative accommodation offered (if home could not be made safe) | during the delay, at landlord's cost |
4. Photographic log
Photograph the hazard dated (use phone metadata; keep originals). Print one photo per section if complaining.
| DATE | ROOM / LOCATION | WHAT THE PHOTO SHOWS |
|---|---|---|
5. Investigation findings
| Item | Record |
|---|---|
| Date of inspection and inspector's name/organisation | |
| Cause identified (e.g. missing ventilation, deteriorated DPC, leaking pipe) | |
| Is the cause in the landlord's control? (required for scope) | |
| Vulnerable occupants noted (person-centred test) | |
| Verdict: emergency / significant / out of scope | |
| Copy of written summary received? date: ______________ |
6. Health impact notes
| DATE | EVENT (illness, GP visit, time off work/school) | EVIDENCE (note, letter) |
|---|---|---|
7. Escalation ladder (use in order)
- Landlord's internal complaints procedure — first stop; keep the complaint acknowledgement.
- Housing Ombudsman — after the landlord's internal process ends (or if they stall); the Ombudsman can find maladministration for Awaab's Law failures.
- Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims — formal letter before claim; a court may ask for evidence this step was followed.
- County court, breach of contract — the timeframes are an implied term of the tenancy; the landlord's defence is "all reasonable steps" (s.10A(5) Landlord and Tenant Act 1985), which is exactly what this pack answers.
8. Checklist before escalating
- Day Zero date and mode of report recorded (section 1)
- Every contact logged with date and name (section 2)
- Each statutory step marked with due vs actual date (section 3)
- Dated photographs (section 4)
- Written summary of findings obtained or its absence logged (section 5)
- Health impacts documented (section 6)
- Landlord's "reasonable steps" noted where they claim delay (access issues, weather, etc.)
Print or save as PDF from your browser (File → Print → Save as PDF). Deadlines shown are the statutory maxima for the social rented sector in England as verified on the sources page of the Awaab's Law Hub; check the hub for the latest verification date.