30 November 2026 has been announced as the date that Awaab’s Law will enter its second phase, significantly extending the legal requirements on social housing landlords beyond damp and mould and marking one of the biggest operational changes in housing compliance in recent years.
While many landlords have spent the past year strengthening damp and mould processes under Phase 1, Phase 2 will require organisations to broaden their focus to a much wider range of health and safety risks thereby introducing new demands on repairs services, asset management teams, contractors, contact centres and compliance functions.
The message from government is clear: social housing landlords must be able to identify, investigate and resolve serious hazards within prescribed timescales, while maintaining robust communication with their tenants throughout the process.
What is changing on 30 November 2026?
Phase 1 of Awaab’s Law, introduced in October 2025, focused on damp and mould hazards and emergency hazards that present an imminent risk to health or safety.
From 30 November 2026, the scope expands considerably, bringing seven additional Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) hazard categories within the Awaab’s Law framework.
The additional hazards that will apply are:
- Excess cold
- Excess heat
- Falls
- Fire
- Electrical hazards
- Domestic hygiene, pests and refuse
- Structural collapse and falling elements
This means that tenants reporting concerns in any of these categories may trigger the statutory response requirements contained within Awaab’s Law.
Why this matters
For many social landlords, compliance with Phase 1 largely sat within repairs, property services and damp and mould teams. Phase 2 demands a much broader, whole-organisation response.
Many of the newly included hazards are linked directly to existing compliance regimes, including fire safety, electrical safety, building safety and asset investment programmes. However, Awaab’s Law introduces legally enforceable response times and communication obligations that sit alongside existing duties.
The challenge for landlords is no longer simply identifying hazards. It is demonstrating that reports are triaged correctly, investigated promptly, communicated effectively and resolved within the statutory deadlines.
The key operational risks
- Excess cold
Properties with inadequate heating, poor insulation or defective heating systems could fall within scope where they present a significant risk to occupants. Older stock, hard-to-treat homes and properties affected by fuel poverty will require particular attention.
- Excess heat
As climate change drives more frequent and intense heat events, landlords must consider overheating risks, particularly in flats, high-rise homes and properties with poor ventilation.
- Falls
This category includes hazards such as defective stairs, inadequate guarding, damaged flooring, trip hazards and unsafe access routes. These issues often emerge through responsive repairs but may now carry additional regulatory significance under Awaab’s Law.
- Fire
Fire hazards are among the most significant additions. Landlords will need clear processes for identifying and responding to tenant-reported fire safety concerns, ensuring alignment with existing fire risk assessment and building safety frameworks.
- Electrical hazards
Electrical defects, exposed wiring, damaged consumer units and other electrical risks may require urgent investigation and remediation where they present significant or emergency hazards.
- Domestic Hygiene, pests and refuse
Landlords will need stronger processes for assessing pest infestations, waste accumulation and property conditions that create health risks. Effective case management and evidence gathering will be critical, particularly where responsibility may be shared between landlord and tenant.
- Structural collapse and falling elements
Defective balconies, loose masonry, unstable structures and other serious building defects may now fall squarely within the Awaab’s Law framework where tenant safety is affected.
What social housing landlords should be doing now
- Reviewing hazard reporting pathways
Landlords should assess whether residents can easily report all newly in-scope hazards through contact centres, customer portals and neighbourhood teams.
Frontline staff must understand how to recognise potential Awaab’s Law issues and escalate them appropriately to the appropriate teams.
- Strengthening of triage processes
Government guidance places significant emphasis on hazard identification and triage. Organisations should review how they categorise emergencies, significant hazards and routine repairs to ensure consistency and compliance.
- Training frontline teams
Customer service advisers, housing officers, surveyors and contractors must be able to recognise hazards that fall within the Phase 2 scope.
A failure at first contact could quickly become a compliance failure later in the process.
- Testing contractor capacity
Many social housing landlords already experience pressure in repairs and compliance services. The expansion of Awaab’s Law may increase demand for inspections and remediation works.
They should also review contractor frameworks, response times and specialist surveying capacity ahead of implementation.
- Improve data and case management
Accurate audit trails will be essential. Landlords should be able to demonstrate:
• When a report was received
• How the report was categorised
• When the report was investigated
• What actions were taken following the report
• What communications were issued to the tenant
• When works will/have been completed
It is imperative that landlords ensure their tenants are kept up to date throughout this process.
- Review resident communication procedures
Awaab’s Law places a strong emphasis on keeping residents informed throughout the process and providing written summaries of findings and actions. Organisations should ensure their systems can generate compliant correspondence and maintain clear records.
Looking Ahead
Phase 2 represents a major step in the government's programme to improve housing quality and strengthen tenant protections. For social landlords, compliance will depend not only on responding to hazards effectively but on demonstrating a resident-focused culture that prioritises safety, transparency and accountability.
The landlords best positioned for November 2026 will be those already treating Awaab’s Law as a cross-organisational transformation programme rather than a repairs initiative. With the scope expanding from damp and mould to a wider range of serious health and safety hazards, preparation during the months ahead will be critical to ensuring compliance, protecting residents and maintaining regulatory confidence.
