Awaab’s Law Phase 2: Moving beyond damp and mould
When Awaab’s Law came into force in October 2025, the focus for housing providers was clear. Build robust processes for managing damp and mould and all emergency hazards, respond within the required timescales and keep residents informed every step of the way.
From 30 November 2026, the next phase of the legislation comes into effect. While the legal process stays largely unchanged, the number of hazards covered has increased considerably, making compliance a much bigger challenge.
What changes in Phase 2?
The principles remain the same. Housing providers must investigate hazards, carry out work within the required timescales, communicate clearly with residents and maintain accurate records at every stage.
The key change is that the law has expanded to include other significant hazards.
Alongside damp and mould and emergency hazards, Phase 2 extends to significant risks from excess cold and heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and explosions, electrical safety and domestic hygiene hazards.
This means more cases to manage, more teams involved in resolving them and more information that must be captured and shared.
The updated guidance also places greater emphasis on effective hazard triage and risk assessment, understanding resident vulnerabilities and circumstances, maintaining accurate records and providing clear communication throughout the lifetime of a case. In addition, new guidance on fire safety considerations and interactions with other regulatory requirements.
Importantly, where multiple hazards are present at the same time, providers should focus first on fixing the issue and protecting residents, rather than spending time classifying or categorising the hazards. The priority is to deal with risks quickly and appropriately, with the administration following as part of the wider process.
Why a joined-up approach matters
These cases have always required input from multiple teams, but Phase 2 brings that reality into even sharper focus.
Housing officers, compliance teams, asset managers, surveyors, and customer service all have a role to play. They need access to the same information and a shared understanding of resident needs, property risks and actions already taken.
When information sits in different systems or teams work from different versions of the truth, delays are more likely and important details can easily be missed.
A joined-up approach gives everyone a complete view of the resident/household, the property and the actions taken, helping teams work together to resolve issues quickly while meeting their legal requirements.
How technology can help
Effective compliance starts with clear internal processes. Every team needs to understand its responsibilities, when action is required and how residents should be kept informed. Technology is crucial in helping housing providers manage compliance consistently, reinforcing these ways of working through workflow, automation and visibility, while supporting a more proactive and resident-focused approach.
A single housing platform allows repairs, compliance, housing management and asset teams to work from the same information, removing the need to piece together data from multiple systems.
Case management brings every stage of an investigation into one place, creating a complete record from the initial report through to inspection, circumstance assessment, works, evidence, communication and resolution. Everyone involved can see the latest information, understand what actions have been taken and identify what needs to happen next.
Supporting this with integrated workflows, reporting and real-time visibility helps housing providers prioritise work correctly, monitor progress against statutory timescales and identify potential issues before they become compliance risks.
This approach helps teams communicate better with residents by ensuring every team has access to the same up-to-date information during the life of a case.
Looking ahead
Phase 2 isn’t about introducing a completely new way of working. It’s about applying the same approach across a much wider range of hazards.
For housing providers, success is about more than just fixing repairs. A coordinated approach is needed where all teams can share information, manage cases efficiently, and maintain a complete 360-degree view of residents and properties.
With the right processes and technology in place, housing providers can meet their legal responsibilities more easily while delivering what matters most: safe homes and better outcomes for residents.
Find out how we can help
NEC Housing offers the full capability to manage Awaab’s Law across all teams and processes. It provides a complete view of people, properties, and hazards, enabling teams to work from the same information, manage cases efficiently, and maintain robust compliance records, helping housing providers meet their obligations while delivering better outcomes for residents.
If you’d like to find out more about how we can help you, please get in touch with us.
