By Hudson Lambert, Managing Director, Safeguard Europe.
From 30 November 2026, a much wider range of hazards, including excess cold and heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and electrical hazards, and hygiene failures, will come within the scope of Awaab’s Law. Where those hazards present an imminent and significant risk of harm, registered providers of social housing will have just 24 hours to investigate and make them safe. Other significant hazards must still be investigated within 10 working days and made safe within five working days of the investigation concluding.
Last week the government confirmed this timeline, putting the sector on notice that the fastest-acting provisions of Phase 2 will apply from the end of November. It is the clearest signal yet that cold, electrical and structural hazards will be treated with the same urgency as damp and mould already are. While the November deadline applies to registered providers of social housing, all landlords should take note as the Renters’ Rights Act commits to extending these requirements to the private rented sector in time.
Few would argue with the principle: tenants deserve confidence that serious hazards will be treated with urgency, whatever form they take. The question is whether landlords have the resources to meet these new obligations.
What we’re seeing on the ground
Safeguard works with landlords on damp and mould remediation almost daily, and we’re already seeing the pressures created by Phase 1. Providers are struggling to meet investigation times because qualified surveyors are in short supply, while contractors are balancing increasing numbers of urgent jobs against fixed legal deadlines. The July 2026 Test and Learn research report found that shortages of surveyors and specialist trades, inconsistent data and IT system limitations have hindered delivery of Phase 1, which only includes a single hazard category.
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Phase 2 introduces seven more, each carrying the same 24-hour make-safe requirement once a hazard is assessed as posing a significant risk. If many providers are finding it difficult to resource one hazard category today, expanding that requirement sevenfold will inevitably increase operational pressure unless additional capacity is made available, meaning more surveyors, more contractors and more strain on housing teams simultaneously.
The funding question
The Local Government Association has already highlighted the need for sufficient funding to help councils meet their responsibilities, a concern raised before Phase 2 broadened the scope of the legislation.
Housing associations and councils are being given a legal duty with strict, court-enforceable timescales, but without dedicated funding for the additional surveyors, contractors and systems needed to deliver it consistently. The government’s investment in new social housing is welcome, but it does not address the increased demands of maintaining existing homes under Awaab’s Law.
What needs to happen now
Legal specialists have already warned that missed deadlines are likely to lead to more complaints and legal claims, and let’s not forget every pound spent on avoidable legal action is money that cannot be invested in repairs and improvements.
The government has confirmed the deadline. It now needs to confirm the funding, or accept that it is asking providers to choose between statutory compliance and financial stability, with tenants caught in between. Regulators should also recognise the difference between providers making genuine efforts to comply despite capacity constraints, and those failing through poor practice.
Housing providers, meanwhile, cannot afford to wait for that answer. Safeguard works closely with providers navigating the demands of Phase 1, and the lesson is clear: preparation matters. The organisations prioritising better processes, faster response times and the right delivery partners will be in the strongest position when Phase 2 comes into force in November.
Awaab’s Law Phase 2 is an important step forward for tenant safety, but giving housing providers the capacity to deliver it consistently will be just as important as the legislation itself.
