Who pays for alternative accommodation under Awaab's Law?
By Katie Richardson, Operations Director · Reviewed and maintained by Jigsaw Conferences' Emergency Accommodation & Housing Team
This content is independently researched using official UK Government guidance and recognised housing sector sources. It is reviewed regularly by Jigsaw Conferences' operational housing team and reflects current best practice at the time of publication. It is provided for general information only and should not be considered legal advice.
Quick answer
The landlord pays. If an emergency or significant hazard cannot be made safe within Awaab's Law deadlines, the regulations require the social landlord to secure suitable alternative accommodation for the whole household at the landlord's expense — and to keep paying until the home is safe, a new investigation clears it, or the tenant confirms in writing it is no longer needed.
What does the law actually say?
- Legal requirement
If relevant safety work cannot be completed within the prescribed timeframes, the landlord must secure that suitable alternative accommodation is available to the household at the landlord’s expense.
Source: Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1042)
- Legal requirement
The household includes anyone who normally lives in the property as a member of the tenant’s family — including children who stay overnight at least once a week.
Source: Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1042)
- Legal requirement
The duty ends when the safety work is complete, when a further investigation finds the hazard is no longer significant or an emergency, or when the tenant tells the landlord in writing that accommodation is no longer required.
Source: Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1042)
- Government guidance
Suitability is assessed against the actual household — size, health, accessibility, caring responsibilities and location needs — consistent with the person-centred approach that runs through the guidance.
Hotels or serviced apartments — which is suitable?
| Factor | Hotel | Serviced apartment |
|---|---|---|
| Speed of placement | Fastest — often same-day, best for the first 1–7 nights | Same-day to 48 hours where inventory allows |
| Cooking and laundry | Rarely included — meal costs escalate quickly | Full kitchen and usually laundry — sustainable for weeks |
| Families and school runs | Single rooms strain families beyond a few nights | Bedrooms, living space, catchment-matched locations |
| Pets and accessibility | Limited availability | Brief-matched — pets, step-free, adapted units |
| Typical cost over 6+ weeks | Highest per usable square metre | In our delivery experience, roughly 31–40% below equivalent hotel long-stay cost |
| Best for | Immediate overnight safety | The full repair or reinstatement period |
Compare whole-stay costs for your own decant
Decant cost calculator — hotel vs serviced apartment
Hotel whole-stay
£6,720
Apartment whole-stay
£5,670
Apartment saving
£1,050 (16%)
Illustrative whole-stay comparison. Excludes laundry, parking, re-placement risk and officer admin time — all of which typically also favour apartments on longer stays. For a benchmarked quote, send us the brief.
Decision tree: which accommodation route fits this decant?
The triage sequence our placement team runs on every displaced-household call:
1Is anyone in the household at immediate risk (medical needs, infants, mobility)?
Yes
Place tonight — nearest suitable hotel; escalate suitability review to first 24 hours.
No
Continue triage.
2Will the repair realistically take more than 7 nights?
Yes
Source a serviced apartment matched to school catchment, accessibility and pets; use a hotel bridge only if needed.
No
Hotel placement with kitchen access where possible; review at day 5.
3Does the household include children, pets or accessibility needs?
Yes
Brief the operator before arrival — cots, step-free access, pet clearance — so the family walks into a ready home.
No
Standard placement; confirm billing route and weekly reporting.
4Is the repair date slipping?
Yes
Extend or relocate without restarting the file; keep the landlord’s audit trail continuous.
No
Plan the return move and close with a single consolidated invoice.
What does good delivery look like in practice?
- Jigsaw delivery experience
In a recent escape-of-water decant, all 14 displaced households were placed within 24 hours of the insurer’s first call — first placement in 3 hours 12 minutes — with direct-to-insurer billing from the first night.
- Jigsaw delivery experience
Long decants live or die on suitability: placements matched to school catchments and support networks in the first call have materially fewer breakdowns and complaints across the 6–18 week reinstatement period.
- Jigsaw delivery experience
One consolidated, claim- or cost-centre-referenced invoice replaces dozens of hotel folios — the difference between an audit trail and an audit problem.
Downloads
Awaab's Law timescales — quick-reference PDF
One page. Every deadline, both hazard types, all three phases. Free — no email needed.
Free PDF — no email neededEmergency Accommodation Procurement Toolkit (Awaab’s Law edition)
Supplier question bank, evaluation criteria, KPI scorecard and audit-trail checklist for procurement teams.
Alternative accommodation questions answered
Can the tenant refuse the accommodation offered?
A tenant can decline an offer, and can end the arrangement at any point by confirming in writing that accommodation is no longer required. In practice, refusals usually signal a suitability failure — wrong location, no space for the household, pets excluded — which is why the suitability assessment matters as much as speed.
Does the landlord pay for food and travel too?
The regulations require the landlord to secure suitable alternative accommodation at its expense. Wider costs are a matter for the landlord’s own policy and any compensation discussions — many landlords address meals where hotel placements have no cooking facilities, precisely why apartments are preferred beyond the first week.
What if no suitable accommodation is available locally?
Guidance expects landlords to take all reasonable steps. The realistic answer is supply: landlords with pre-contracted providers can reach vetted hotel and apartment inventory across multiple cities. Jigsaw sources across 53+ UK cities with a 24/7 emergency line for contracted clients.
How does this interact with insurance decants?
Where damage triggers a building insurance claim, the insurer’s alternative accommodation provision often funds the placement — but Awaab’s Law duties still sit with the landlord. Aligning the loss adjuster, landlord and accommodation provider on one file avoids the household being caught between two processes.
Evidence · Real delivery
How quickly can 14 displaced households be decanted after an escape of water?
Every family placed across Greater Manchester within 24 hours — with direct billing to the insurer from the first night.
Read the case studyFacing a live decant or building compliance capacity?
Our accommodation team places displaced households 24/7 — hotels for tonight, serviced apartments for the repair period, one auditable invoice. Free to the client.
Related knowledge
Official legislation & guidance
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Published 11 August 2026 · Last updated 11 August 2026 · Legislative statements verified 11 August 2026 against GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk (sources cited inline).