Awaab's Law Phase 2: What Changes for Social Housing Tenants

From 30 November 2026, social landlords in England will have strict legal deadlines to deal with a much wider range of serious hazards in their tenants’ homes. This is Phase 2 of Awaab’s Law, and it significantly strengthens the rights of anyone renting from a council or housing association.

Here’s what the law covers, what your landlord must do, and what you can do if they fail to act.

What is Awaab’s Law?

Awaab’s Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s social housing flat in Rochdale. His family had repeatedly raised concerns with their landlord. The law was introduced to make sure no family is ignored in the same way again.

It sets fixed timescales for social landlords to investigate and fix hazards, rather than leaving tenants waiting indefinitely for repairs.

How has the law been rolled out?

The government is introducing Awaab’s Law in three phases:

• Phase 1 (from 27 October 2025): damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm, plus all emergency hazards.
• Phase 2 (from 30 November 2026): a wider set of significant hazards, listed below.
• Phase 3 (planned for 2027): all remaining hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), except overcrowding.

What hazards does Phase 2 cover?

From 30 November 2026, the strict timescales will also apply to significant hazards involving:

• Excess cold, such as broken heating or poor insulation
• Excess heat
• Falls, including on the level, on stairs and between levels
• Structural collapse
• Fire and explosions
• Electrical hazards
• Domestic hygiene, including personal hygiene and food safety

These sit alongside the damp, mould and emergency hazards already covered by Phase 1.

What counts as a “significant” or “emergency” hazard?

The guidance defines two levels of hazard:

• Significant hazard: a risk of harm that a reasonable landlord would make safe within 15 working days.
• Emergency hazard: an imminent and significant risk of harm that a reasonable landlord would make safe within 24 hours.

Importantly, landlords must judge the risk against your household’s actual circumstances. A child, an elderly relative, or someone with a health condition or disability can make a hazard significant even if it might be less serious for someone else.

What deadlines must your landlord meet?

Once your landlord becomes aware of a hazard, the clock starts:

• Emergency hazards: investigate and make safe within 24 hours.
• Potential significant hazards: investigate within 10 working days.
• Written summary: give you a written summary of the findings within 3 working days of the investigation concluding.
• Safety work: complete work to make the home safe within 5 working days of the investigation concluding.
• Longer-term repairs: begin, or take steps to begin, within 5 working days. Where that isn’t reasonably practicable, they must start as soon as possible and within 12 weeks.

If you were offered a remote inspection, such as a video call, you can ask for an in-person inspection. This must take place within 10 working days of your request.

What if the home can’t be made safe in time?

If your landlord cannot complete the necessary safety work within the deadlines, they must arrange suitable alternative accommodation at their own cost until your home is safe.

Temporary fixes, such as portable heaters or dehumidifiers, can be used while permanent repairs are arranged. You should not be expected to carry out the work yourself or buy equipment to deal with the problem.

Can your landlord blame you?

The guidance is clear that landlords must not assume a hazard is caused by a tenant’s “lifestyle”. Everyday activities like cooking, showering and drying laundry are normal parts of living in a home.

Limited exceptions exist, for example, where a hazard results from deliberate damage or unauthorised alterations by the tenant. Landlords also have a defence if they can show they took all reasonable steps to comply, such as making repeated attempts to arrange access that the tenant refused.

Who does Awaab’s Law apply to?

Awaab’s Law applies to almost all social housing let under a tenancy, including:

• Council homes
• Housing association homes
• Temporary and supported accommodation provided under a tenancy

It does not currently apply to licences, long leaseholds, shared ownership or owner-occupied homes.

Private renters: the government is consulting on extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector. The consultation runs until 18 December 2026, and nothing is yet in force for private tenants.

What can you do if your landlord doesn’t act?

Awaab’s Law requirements are written into every social tenancy agreement automatically. Landlords cannot contract out of them, and any term that tries to do so is void.

If your landlord misses the deadlines, you have several options:

1. Make a complaint through your landlord’s formal complaints procedure.
2. Go to the Housing Ombudsman if the complaint isn’t resolved or your landlord doesn’t respond.
3. Take legal action for breach of contract. A court can order your landlord to carry out repairs, pay compensation, and cover some or all of your legal costs.

Practical steps to protect your position

If you’re living with a hazard in your home, it’s worth:

• Reporting it in writing, by email or through your landlord’s online portal, so there’s a clear record of when they became aware.
• Taking dated photos and videos of the problem.
• Telling your landlord about anyone in your household who is particularly at risk, such as young children, older people, or anyone with a health condition.
• Keeping a log of every call, visit, missed appointment and response.
• Keeping records of any costs or impact, such as extra heating bills, damaged belongings or effects on health.

How SBW Law can help

If your landlord has failed to deal with a serious hazard in your home, you may be entitled to have the repairs carried out and to claim compensation.

SBW Law can review your situation, explain your options and help you hold your landlord to account. Contact our team today for a free, no-obligation conversation about your case.