The Awaab’s Law timeline has three phases for social landlords in England. Phase 1 began on 27 October 2025 and covers damp and mould plus all emergency hazards. Phase 2 starts on 30 November 2026 and adds excess cold and heat, falls, fire and explosions, electrical hazards, structural collapse and domestic hygiene. Phase 3, planned for 2027, extends the law to all remaining HHSRS hazards except overcrowding. There is no confirmed date yet for private landlords.
This guide sets out each phase, the hazards covered, the deadlines that apply and what to do before Phase 2 begins. For a general introduction, read what is Awaab’s Law.
Awaab’s Law timeline at a glance
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| December 2020 | Awaab Ishak, aged two, dies from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his family’s social housing flat in Rochdale |
| 2023 | The Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 becomes law. Section 42 inserts section 10A into the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, creating the framework for Awaab’s Law |
| 27 October 2025 | Phase 1 in force under the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 |
| 23 June 2026 | Revised Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) comes into force, reducing the number of hazards from 29 to 21 |
| 30 November 2026 | Phase 2 in force for social landlords |
| 2027 | Phase 3 planned: all remaining HHSRS hazards except overcrowding |
| To be confirmed | Private rented sector, using powers in the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 |
| By 2035 | New Decent Homes Standard (including a requirement to be free from damp and mould) to be met by social and privately rented homes |
Phase 1: from 27 October 2025
Phase 1 introduced the core duties and deadlines. It applies to:
- damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm to the tenant’s health or safety
- all emergency hazards (other than overcrowding), whatever their type
This means a social landlord already has to act within 24 hours on, for example, an emergency electrical or gas hazard, even though those hazard types only join the “significant hazard” regime in Phase 2.
The legal detail is in the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 and the government’s Awaab’s Law guidance for social landlords.
Phase 2: from 30 November 2026
From 30 November 2026, the same deadlines apply to a wider list of significant hazards. The government’s Phase 2 guidance for social landlords, published in July 2026, confirms that the following are added where they present a significant risk of harm:
- excess cold
- excess heat
- falls (including falls on the level, falls on stairs and falls between levels)
- structural collapse
- fire and explosions
- electrical hazards
- domestic hygiene (including personal hygiene and food safety)
Damp and mould and all emergency hazards remain covered.
Fire hazards in communal areas
The Phase 2 guidance explains that fire safety issues in communal areas already regulated under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, such as damaged fire doors or obstructed escape routes, are excluded from Awaab’s Law. Landlords should report these to the Responsible Person or the local fire and rescue authority. Fire hazards inside a home that are not covered by that Order, such as broken or missing smoke alarms, are within scope. Cladding remediation is also excluded.
Phase 3: planned for 2027
In Phase 3 the government intends to extend Awaab’s Law to all remaining HHSRS hazards except overcrowding, where they present a significant risk of harm. Under the revised HHSRS, that would bring in hazards such as asbestos and other fibres, indoor air pollutants (including carbon monoxide), radiation, noise, and collisions, entrapment and ergonomics. An exact start date has not yet been published, so check the Awaab’s Law collection on gov.uk for updates.
Private landlords: date to be confirmed
Awaab’s Law does not currently apply to private rented homes. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 gives the government power to extend it to the private rented sector, but secondary legislation is needed and no start date has been confirmed. Commentators expect 2027 at the earliest. Our guide to Awaab’s Law for private landlords explains the current position and the duties that already apply.
Hazards covered by phase
| Hazard | Phase 1 (27 Oct 2025) | Phase 2 (30 Nov 2026) | Phase 3 (2027) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damp and mould (significant risk) | Covered | Covered | Covered |
| Any emergency hazard (except overcrowding) | Covered | Covered | Covered |
| Excess cold | – | Covered | Covered |
| Excess heat | – | Covered | Covered |
| Falls (level, stairs, between levels) | – | Covered | Covered |
| Structural collapse | – | Covered | Covered |
| Fire and explosions (excluding communal areas under the Fire Safety Order) | – | Covered | Covered |
| Electrical hazards | – | Covered | Covered |
| Domestic hygiene (including personal hygiene and food safety) | – | Covered | Covered |
| All other HHSRS hazards except overcrowding | – | – | Covered |
| Overcrowding | Not covered | Not covered | Not covered |
Awaab’s Law timescales
The deadlines stay the same in every phase. The government describes them as maximum timeframes, so landlords can act faster.
| Duty | Emergency hazard | Significant hazard |
|---|---|---|
| Investigate | Within 24 hours of becoming aware | Within 10 working days of becoming aware |
| Written summary to tenant | Within 3 working days of the investigation concluding | Within 3 working days of the investigation concluding |
| Complete relevant safety work | Within 24 hours of becoming aware | Within 5 working days of the investigation concluding |
| Begin supplementary preventative work | Within 5 working days of the investigation concluding, or within 12 weeks where that is not reasonably practicable | Within 5 working days of the investigation concluding, or within 12 weeks where that is not reasonably practicable |
| Complete supplementary preventative work | Within a reasonable time | Within a reasonable time |
| Home cannot be made safe in time | Offer suitable alternative accommodation at the landlord’s cost | Offer suitable alternative accommodation at the landlord’s cost |
Some older articles, including an earlier version of our own guidance, quoted a proposed 14-day investigation period and a further 7 days for repairs. Those figures came from the consultation stage and are out of date.
What to do before 30 November 2026
With Phase 2 weeks away, social landlords should use the time to prepare. A practical plan:
- Update your Awaab’s Law policy to cover the Phase 2 hazards, including how you will handle the fire hazard exclusion for communal areas.
- Retrain call handlers and frontline staff to recognise reports of excess cold, falls, electrical faults and hygiene problems as potential Awaab’s Law cases, not routine repairs.
- Review your triage questions so they capture household vulnerability for the new hazard types, for example older residents and falls or excess cold.
- Check investigation capacity. More hazard types mean more investigations within 10 working days. Make sure you have enough competent surveyors and contractors, including electricians and structural specialists.
- Update contractor contracts and schedules of rates so they reflect the deadlines for safety work.
- Test your case management system so every report records the date of awareness and tracks each deadline.
- Use your stock data. Homes with poor energy performance, known heating failures or structural defects are likely sources of Phase 2 cases. Consider proactive inspections.
- Refresh alternative accommodation arrangements in case more homes cannot be made safe in time.
- Review Phase 1 performance. Lessons from damp and mould cases, especially on diagnosis, records and communication, apply directly to Phase 2.
Our guide to Awaab’s Law landlord responsibilities covers each stage of a compliant process in more detail, with a checklist.
How the revised HHSRS fits in
Awaab’s Law uses the hazards listed in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 came into force on 23 June 2026 and reduced the list from 29 hazards to 21 by combining related hazards, for example creating a single “falls on the level” hazard and a combined “fire and explosions” hazard. This is why the Phase 2 hazard names differ slightly from older lists. For more on how damp and mould is assessed under the HHSRS, see our guide to the HHSRS damp and mould hazard.
Getting ready with Lansdown Associates
Lansdown Associates is an RICS regulated building consultancy with Chartered Surveyors covering London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Northern Ireland. We help social landlords meet Awaab’s Law deadlines with independent investigations, clear written reports and prioritised recommendations, plus follow-up verification inspections after repairs.
Call 0151 374 0905 or email office@lansdownassociates.co.uk (Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00).
Frequently asked questions
When does Phase 2 of Awaab’s Law start?
Phase 2 starts on 30 November 2026 for social landlords in England.
Do the Awaab’s Law timescales change in Phase 2?
No. The same deadlines apply to all covered hazards. Only the list of significant hazards gets longer.
Is there a date for Phase 3?
The government has said Phase 3 will follow in 2027, but an exact date has not been published at the time of writing.
When will Awaab’s Law apply to private landlords?
No date has been confirmed. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 contains the power to extend it, but further regulations are needed.
