Safety
Social landlords in England will need to meet strict new timescales for tackling a much wider range of health and safety hazards from 30 November 2026.

The second phase of Awaab’s Law will extend the existing requirements for dangerous damp and mould to seven further hazard categories:

  • Electrical hazards
  • Falls
  • Fire and explosions
  • Excess cold
  • Excess heat
  • Structural collapse and falling elements
  • Domestic hygiene, including pest infestations

Where a hazard poses an immediate danger, landlords will be required to investigate and make the home safe within 24 hours.

For other significant hazards, landlords must:

  • Investigate within 10 working days
  • Give the tenant a written summary within three working days of completing the investigation
  • Complete urgent safety work within five working days of the investigation
  • Begin any further required works within 12 weeks

The regulations were laid before Parliament on 13 July, alongside detailed phase 2 guidance for social landlords and separate guidance to support the triage of hazards. The changes are subject to parliamentary approval.

The announcement gives providers just over four months to test whether their repairs systems, data, contractor arrangements, communications and escalation processes can meet the new legal requirements.

Get ready with HQN

HQN is running a practical Awaab’s Law phase 2 workshop series throughout July and August. Sessions will examine the new requirements from a data, governance and cultural perspective before exploring the individual hazards in greater detail.

Upcoming workshops include:

A full-series ticket allows organisations to send different colleagues to the workshops most relevant to their roles.