Awaab's Law Phase 2: What housing providers need to know before October 2026
The introduction of Awaab's Law marked one of the most significant changes to social housing regulation in recent years.
You’re familiar with the first phase: strict timescales for investigating and addressing damp and mould hazards. However, the next phase of implementation is now approaching, bringing a wider range of property-related hazards with it.
With Phase 2 due in October 2026, housing providers are already considering how they identify, assess and prioritise risks across their portfolios.
What is Awaab's Law?
Awaab's Law was introduced following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in December 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in his family's social housing property.
The legislation introduces legally enforceable timescales requiring social landlords to investigate and address hazards that present a risk to tenant health and safety.
In case you need it, official Government guidance can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awaabs-law-guidance-for-social-landlords
What happens under Phase 2?
From October 2026, Awaab's Law will expand beyond damp and mould to include additional hazards where they present a significant risk of harm.
According to Government guidance, these include:
Excess cold
Excess heat
Falls associated with stairs, level surfaces and bathrooms
Structural collapse
Explosions
Fire hazards
Electrical hazards
Domestic hygiene and food safety hazards
The full guidance is available here:
Why this matters for housing providers
Much of the discussion surrounding Awaab's Law focuses on response times.
While response times are important, Phase 2 highlights a broader challenge:
Understanding where risks exist before they become tenant complaints.
The legislation applies to hazards resulting from faults, disrepair or lack of maintenance that fall within the landlord's responsibility.
Government guidance specifically references examples such as:
Defective insulation
Broken windows and doors
Deteriorating damp-proof courses
Structural faults
Missing or inadequate building components
In other words, many hazards can originate from the condition of the building itself.
The connection between building condition and resident safety
Several Phase 2 hazards have a direct relationship with building fabric condition.
Excess Cold
Defective roofs, damaged façades, failed seals, poor insulation and water ingress can all contribute to cold internal environments.
Left unresolved, these issues can affect resident comfort, increase energy costs and contribute to wider property deterioration.
Excess Heat
As overheating becomes an increasing concern across parts of the UK housing sector (yes, even in the UK this is a thing,) the condition and performance of the building envelope is becoming more important.
Roofing systems, façades and thermal performance all play a role in how buildings respond to warmer conditions.
Taller buildings = more concrete = more heat absorption.
Structural Safety
Structural collapse is one of the most significant hazards included within Phase 2.
Housing providers will increasingly need confidence that they understand the condition of external building elements and can demonstrate how risks are identified, assessed and prioritised.
A shift from reactive to proactive management
The most effective approach to compliance is unlikely to be responding faster once a problem is reported.
That doesn’t prove anything to the regulator, and they' need to see your Golden Thread - a continuous line of evidence that demonstrates you’re aware of the condition of every building in your portfolio.
Providers should be asking:
Do we have a current understanding of the condition of our buildings?
Can we identify high-risk assets before residents report issues?
Can we demonstrate how risks are assessed and prioritised?
Do we have a defensible evidence trail supporting our decisions?
These questions extend beyond Awaab's Law and align with wider regulatory expectations under the Building Safety Act, consumer standards and asset management best practice.
Remember:
The regulator is more concerned that you’re aware of any issues and are on top of managing them, rather than trying to present a clean bill of health across the portfolio. Faults and problems will always occur. It’s how you’re managing them and quantifying their risk that really matters.
Key questions to ask before October 2026
As implementation approaches, housing providers should consider:
✓ Do we have recent condition data across our portfolio?
✓ Can we identify buildings at greater risk of thermal inefficiency, water ingress or structural deterioration?
✓ Are inspection records and evidence easily accessible?
✓ Can we demonstrate a clear process for prioritising maintenance and remediation activity?
✓ Are we relying on tenant reports to identify issues that could be detected earlier?
Final Thoughts
Phase 2 of Awaab's Law is not simply about responding to hazards within prescribed timescales.
It reflects a wider expectation that housing providers understand the condition of their assets, identify risks proactively and take appropriate action before issues escalate.
For many organisations, the challenge will not be responding once a problem is reported.
It will be knowing where the problems are before they are reported.
Next Steps
If you haven’t tried a UAV inspection service that provides visual and thermal building assessments and risk-rated reports on all findings, Ovrsite’s free pilot inspection would be a great place to start.
Book a free pilot inspection today
Further Reading
Awaab's Law Guidance for Social Landlords:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awaabs-law-guidance-for-social-landlords
Detailed Government Guidance:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awaabs-law-guidance-for-social-landlords/awaabs-law-guidance-for-social-landlords-timeframes-for-repairs-in-the-social-rented-sector
Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS):
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/housing-health-and-safety-rating-system-guidance-for-landlords-and-property-related-professionals
Building Safety Act Guidance:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/building-safety-act-2022