Awaab’s Law is already impacting landlords’ approach to safety and assurance

In contrast, 100% of C4 landlords received negative safety-related commentary. While these figures do not imply causation, they demonstrate how safety outcomes are increasingly visible within regulatory assessment frameworks.

Complaints data also reflects changing dynamics. Pulse 55 shows a 10.8% increase in formal Stage 1 and Stage 2 complaints per 1,000 properties in October 2025. This rise coincides with improving performance rather than deterioration.

Around 97% of complaints were resolved within target timescales, holding steady month-on-month and sitting 5.5 percentage points higher than at the same point last year. This suggests that greater awareness and scrutiny are driving increased reporting, while landlords are strengthening their ability to respond effectively.

“Around 97% of complaints were resolved within target timescales, holding steady month-on-month and sitting 5.5 percentage points higher than at the same point last year”

The growing regulatory weight of complaint handling is also evident in inspection outcomes. Around 43% of landlords with C1 gradings received positive mentions for their approach to complaints, compared with none of the reports for C3 or C4 landlords. Strengthened consumer standards mean effective complaint management is no longer peripheral, but integral to regulatory assurance.

Repairs data points to a similar pattern of improvement accompanied by deeper challenges. Median transactional repairs satisfaction stood at 88.6% in October 2025, remaining 2.2 percentage points higher than a year earlier, despite a slight month-on-month dip.

However, perception-based tenant satisfaction measures continue to lag behind. On average, transactional repairs surveys score around 12 percentage points higher than perception measures. During 2024-25, the typical post-repair rating sat nearly 20 percentage points above tenants’ year-end satisfaction with repairs.

This widening gap highlights a critical issue under Awaab’s Law. While landlords may be improving the delivery of individual repairs, longer-term trust and confidence are shaped by how consistently issues are resolved and communicated. Housemark analysis shows that landlords with a gap of more than 15 percentage points between transactional and perception measures are far less likely to achieve top quartile performance on overall satisfaction.

Operational data also illustrates the tension between compliance and housing demand. Median vacancy rates remain exceptionally low at around 0.45% – equivalent to fewer than five homes per 1,000 being vacant and available to let at any one time.

Even so, this still translates to 30,000 to 35,000 homes standing empty across the UK. When properties held back for decants, major works or temporary accommodation are included, the total number of unused homes rises to between 60,000 and 70,000.

“While landlords may be improving the delivery of individual repairs, longer-term trust and confidence are shaped by how consistently issues are resolved and communicated”

At the same time, average re-let times have edged upwards. In October 2025, the median re-let time stood at 44 days, around 4-6% longer than a year earlier. This reflects deliberate choices by landlords to hold homes back to meet safety requirements, support decanted tenants or provide temporary accommodation. These decisions reduce immediate supply but are increasingly shaped by safety and assurance considerations linked to Awaab’s Law.

Underlying many of these trends is the growing importance of data quality. As safety and repairs performance carry greater regulatory weight, inaccuracies in how repairs are recorded or closed present increased risk.

Housemark data shows improvements in electrical safety compliance, illustrating what is possible when data discipline is applied. Median Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) coverage within five years has risen to 99.5%, up from around 97% when Housemark first began tracking the measure, with poorer-performing landlords driving much of the improvement.

Housemark introduced five new Pulse KPIs from December 2025 to monitor performance under the first phase of Awaab’s Law, further reinforcing the shift towards evidence-based assurance. These measures will enable landlords to track not only activity, but also outcomes, as regulatory expectations continue to evolve.

Taken together, our data and analysis present a picture of a sector in transition. Complaints volumes are rising but resolution is improving. Repairs performance is strengthening but trust remains harder to rebuild. Safety outcomes are increasingly reflected in regulatory commentary.

While Awaab’s Law has only just come into force, the data suggests its influence is already being felt.

For landlords, the message is clear: safety is now assessed through outcomes, evidence and the lived experience of tenants. Data quality and assurance are now central to demonstrating compliance and trustworthiness.

John Wickenden, research manager, Housemark