The UK government has emphasised the need for social housing landlords to ensure their properties meet adequate thermal comfort standards, responding to growing concerns about overheating in social homes. This follows recent tenant complaints and legal threats over excessive indoor temperatures, highlighting the urgent need for regulatory enforcement and improvements.

Government response to overheating risks in social housing

In a written parliamentary question dated 18 May 2026, Green MP Carla Denyer asked the government about its assessment of overheating risks in social housing. Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook confirmed that all social housing landlords must comply with the requirements set out under Awaab’s Law, which came into force on 27 October 2025.

Pennycook explained that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities had assessed subjective overheating through the English Housing Survey, revealing that in 2024, 10.6% of social housing households reported at least one part of their home becoming uncomfortably hot. This figure underscores the scale of the issue within the social rented sector.

Details of Awaab’s Law and forthcoming regulations

Awaab’s Law mandates that social landlords repair all emergency hazards within 24 hours and address dangerous damp and mould within fixed timescales. The government is now preparing to extend the law’s scope to cover additional Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) hazards, specifically excess heat and excess cold.

Furthermore, new statutory guidance on the operation and enforcement of the HHSRS has been laid before Parliament and is due to come into force in June. This guidance aims to provide local councils with a clearer and more effective framework to assess hazards in rented homes, including issues related to overheating.

Case study: Overheating complaints in Woolwich flats

Concerns about overheating have been brought into sharp focus by residents of flats managed by PA Housing in Woolwich, London. According to a BBC report, tenants in Canada Court and Clifton Lodge have experienced indoor temperatures reaching as high as 43°C during summer months, prompting plans for legal action under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. This is believed to be the first claim of its kind related to excessive heat.

Chris Sayudo, chair of the tenant association at these buildings, described the situation: “It’s a combination of problems; the build-up of heat in the building, because there’s no real ventilation, and the fact there are leaks in the cupboards and communal areas means there is a massive amount of mould. Not just in communal areas, but in our flats as well, because we don’t have ventilation. There’s a built-in new air ventilation system but it doesn’t do anything. It’s not effective.”

PA Housing’s chief executive, Michael McDonagh, acknowledged the issue but noted it was mainly concentrated in communal intake cupboards rather than residents’ homes. He added that the buildings met all relevant planning and building regulations at the time of construction and that measures would be introduced to monitor internal temperatures to better understand the problem and support residents.

What this means for landlords

Landlords managing social housing must be aware that overheating is now recognised as a significant hazard under forthcoming regulatory frameworks. Compliance with Awaab’s Law is mandatory, and landlords should prepare for the extension of statutory requirements to include excess heat and cold as part of the HHSRS.

Proactive monitoring of indoor temperatures and ventilation effectiveness will become increasingly important. Failure to address overheating risks may lead to legal challenges, as demonstrated by the Woolwich case, and could expose landlords to enforcement action and reputational damage.

Source: Based on reporting from Property118

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