From 30 November 2026, Phase 2 of Awaab's Law extends the fixed repair deadlines that already apply to damp and mould in social housing in England to seven more hazard groups: excess cold, excess heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and explosions, electrical hazards and domestic hygiene. Social landlords, meaning councils and housing associations, must investigate a significant hazard within 10 working days, give the tenant a written summary within 3 working days of the investigation ending, and make the home safe within 5 working days. Emergency hazards must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours. The rules apply in England only, and they do not yet cover private rented homes.

This guide explains what Awaab's Law is, what changes on 30 November 2026, which hazards are covered, the exact deadlines, who is protected, who is not, and what a tenant should do if a landlord does not act. It is general information based on the government's published guidance, not legal advice.

What is Awaab's Law?

Awaab's Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who died in December 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in his family's social housing home in Rochdale. An inquest found that the mould in the home had contributed to his death. His family's experience led to a campaign for fixed legal deadlines for repairs, so that dangerous conditions in social housing could no longer be left for months while tenants waited.

The law was created by section 42 of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 and brought into force through the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025. It works by writing duties directly into every social housing tenancy in England. When a landlord becomes aware of a hazard that presents a significant risk of harm, the clock starts, and the landlord must act within the time limits set out in the regulations.

The government is introducing the law in three phases. Phase 1 came into force on 27 October 2025 and covered significant damp and mould hazards, together with all emergency hazards. Phase 2 comes into force on 30 November 2026 and adds seven more hazard groups. Phase 3 is planned for 2027 and will extend the duties to all remaining hazards in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, apart from overcrowding, which the government says is addressed differently.

What changes on 30 November 2026?

Phase 2 does not change the deadlines. It widens the list of hazards to which those deadlines apply. From 30 November 2026, the same investigation and repair timetable that has applied to damp and mould since October 2025 will also apply to the seven new hazard groups, where they present a significant risk of harm.

The government's Phase 2 guidance for social landlords, published in July 2026 and updated on 31 July 2026, sets out how landlords should apply the new duties. A separate hazards annex helps landlords triage reports. The Phase 1 guidance remains in force until 11:59pm on 29 November 2026.

What are the seven new hazards?

The seven hazard groups added by Phase 2 are drawn from the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, known as the HHSRS, which is the system councils use to assess risks in homes. They are:

• Excess cold: for example, heating that has failed, missing insulation or draughts that leave a home too cold to live in safely. This is the hazard most likely to matter first, because Phase 2 starts as winter begins.
• Excess heat: homes that become dangerously hot, including where ventilation or shading fails.
• Falls: falls on the level, falls on stairs and falls between levels, including unsafe flooring, stairs and balconies.
• Structural collapse and falling elements: for example, ceilings, plaster or fixtures at risk of falling, and structural defects.
• Fire and explosions: fire and explosion hazards inside the home. The guidance excludes fire risks in the structure, external walls and common parts of a block of flats, which are dealt with under separate fire-safety rules.
• Electrical hazards: for example, exposed wiring, faulty sockets and unsafe consumer units.
• Domestic hygiene: including personal hygiene and food safety, and pest problems such as infestations that make a home unsafe to live in.

A hazard is covered when it presents a significant risk of harm. That is an important limit. A minor defect that does not present a significant risk is not caught by the fixed deadlines, although landlords still have their ordinary repairing duties under the tenancy and under other housing law.

What are the deadlines landlords must meet?

The deadlines are maximum timeframes, not targets. The government's guidance is clear that landlords should act sooner where they can. The timetable is:

Making a home safe is not always the same as completing a full permanent repair. Where a full repair will take longer, the landlord must still take the steps needed to make the home safe within the deadline, for example by isolating a dangerous electrical circuit or providing temporary heating, and then complete the permanent work. The written summary matters because it gives the tenant a dated record of what the landlord found and what it promised to do.

Who is covered, and who is not?

Awaab's Law applies to social landlords in England, meaning local authorities and housing associations that let homes on a tenancy. The government says the law already protects more than 4 million tenants in the social rented sector. It does not apply to owner-occupied homes, long leaseholds or shared ownership.

It does not yet apply to the private rented sector. A government consultation on extending Awaab's Law to private rented tenancies opened on 9 October 2026 and closes on 18 December 2026. The government has said the earliest feasible start date for private landlords is 2027, and powers to extend the law were included in the Renters' Rights Act 2025. England's 11 million private renters are therefore not covered by the fixed deadlines yet, although private landlords still owe repairing duties under other legislation.

The law also applies in England only. Housing is devolved, so tenants in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are covered by different rules.

What should a tenant do if a hazard is reported?

Report the problem to the landlord in writing, keep a copy, and keep a dated record of what was reported and when. The landlord's deadlines run from when it becomes aware of the hazard, so a written report with a date is the clearest evidence. Photographs of the problem, and of any effect on health, are also worth keeping.

If the landlord does not investigate within 10 working days, or does not make an emergency hazard safe within 24 hours, the tenant can complain through the landlord's complaints process and then to the Housing Ombudsman, which deals with complaints about social landlords. The local council's environmental health team can also inspect a home under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System and take enforcement action where a serious hazard is found. Tenants who are unsure of their position can seek advice from a housing advice service or a solicitor, because the right route depends on the facts of each case.

Why does Phase 2 matter now?

Phase 2 starts on 30 November 2026, at the start of winter. Excess cold is one of the new hazards, and it is the one most likely to be reported first, as heating fails and insulation gaps show up in cold weather. Electrical hazards and falls also rise in winter, when lights are used more and homes are occupied for longer. For tenants, the change means that a broken boiler or exposed wiring in a council or housing association home is now subject to the same legal clock as damp and mould. For landlords, it means the triage systems built for Phase 1 must now handle a much wider range of hazards, to the same deadlines.

Frequently asked questions

Does Awaab's Law apply to private landlords? Not yet. It applies to social landlords in England only. A consultation on extending it to private rented tenancies runs until 18 December 2026, with the earliest start in 2027.

What is the deadline for an emergency repair under Awaab's Law? The landlord must investigate and make the home safe within 24 hours of becoming aware of an emergency hazard.

How long does a landlord have to investigate damp and mould? Damp and mould that presents a significant risk of harm must be investigated within 10 working days, with a written summary within 3 working days of the investigation ending and safety work within 5 working days.

Does Awaab's Law cover my whole house? It covers hazards inside the home that present a significant risk of harm. Fire risks in the structure, external walls and common parts of a block of flats are excluded and dealt with under separate fire-safety rules.

When does Phase 3 start? Phase 3 is planned for 2027 and will extend the duties to all remaining Housing Health and Safety Rating System hazards, apart from overcrowding.

Sources: GOV.UK, Awaab's Law in the social rented sector (gov.uk); GOV.UK, Awaab's Law Phase 2: Guidance for social housing landlords (gov.uk).