The Government has published new guidance to help social housing landlords in England prepare for Phase 2 of Awaab’s Law, which comes into force on 30 November 2026.

Published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), the guidance provides practical information to help landlords understand their responsibilities, assess potential hazards and prepare for the next stage of implementation.

Phase 2 represents a significant expansion of Awaab’s Law, bringing a much wider range of housing hazards within the statutory response times already established under the legislation.

What is Awaab’s law?

Awaab’s Law was introduced following the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020, which was linked to prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s social housing property. The legislation aims to ensure that social landlords take swift action when tenants report serious hazards within their homes.

The law introduces clear expectations and timescales for investigating and resolving housing hazards with particular focus on damp & mould, strengthening existing obligations across the social housing sector.

What is being added for Phase 2?

Phase 2 builds upon the requirements already established under Phase 1 which did focus on damp & mould but now expands to include other potential hazards. The Government has published non-statutory guidance to help landlords understand and comply with these requirements before they become a legal requirement.

The guidance will apply from 30^th November 2026, when the relevant amendment regulations come into force. The main objectives of Phase 2 of Awaab’s Law are intended to:

Improve the speed and effectiveness of landlord responses to reported hazards.
Ensure that tenants live in homes that are safe, healthy, and free from serious risks.
Provide greater clarity around landlords’ responsibilities when assessing and resolving housing defects.
Promote consistent approaches across the social housing sector.
Strengthen tenant confidence that complaints and reports of hazards will be acted upon promptly.

Supporting Guidance and Resources

Alongside the main guidance document, the Government has issued additional Hazards Guidance for Social Landlords. This supplementary resource is designed to help landlords assess, prioritise, and triage reported hazards, enabling them to determine the urgency of required interventions and ensure compliance with Awaab’s Law.

The Importance of Competent Investigation

Effective implementation will also rely on landlords having the right competence available to investigate potential hazards.

Government guidance describes a competent investigator as someone who, in the reasonable opinion of the landlord, has the skills, qualifications, where applicable, and experience necessary to determine whether a social home is affected by a significant or emergency hazard.

This makes it increasingly important that landlords understand who is responsible for assessing different types of risk, how findings are recorded and when further specialist investigation may be required.

What Should Social Landlords be Doing Now?

Social landlords should use the period before implementation to review their existing policies, reporting procedures, repair processes, and risk assessment frameworks. Organisations may need to:

Strengthen systems for logging and responding to resident reports.
Review repair and maintenance response times.
Improve record-keeping and evidence management.
Train staff on identifying and categorising housing hazards.
Ensure clear communication with residents throughout the investigation and repair process.
By preparing early, landlords can reduce the risks and demonstrate their commitment to providing safe, high-quality homes.

Simon Flint, Retrofit Scheme Manager at Elmhurst Energy, commented:

“Phase 2 is an important reminder that Awaab’s Law is about more than responding to individual repairs. Landlords need reliable processes, good information and people with the right competence to recognise hazards, understand the level of risk and make sure action follows quickly.

“With a much wider range of hazards coming into scope from November, now is the time to test those processes across teams – from the first resident report through to investigation, making the property safe and completing any follow-up work. Ultimately, the focus has to remain on identifying risks early and keeping people safe in their homes.”

Awaab’s Law Phase 2 Guidance for Social Landlords

You can find out more on the guidance and associated documentation for Awaab’s Law Phase 2 using the link below.

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Awaab’s Law Phase 2: What’s next for Social Housing Landlords