Awaab's Law Phase 2, the hazards it adds, and how to prepare.
Phase 2 is the next stage of Awaab's Law: it takes the same investigate / written-summary / make-safe duties that have applied to damp and mould since 27 October 2025 and extends them to seven further prescribed hazard categories. It commences 30 November 2026 — it is not yet in force, and this page is written accordingly, in the future tense, throughout.
What hazard categories does Phase 2 add?
GOV.UK's Phase 2 guidance names seven hazard categories. Excess cold and excess heat are each a single HHSRS profile; falls spans three profiles; domestic and personal hygiene consolidates food safety and personal hygiene/sanitation/drainage under the reformed 21-profile HHSRS (see below). That's nine HHSRS hazard profiles under seven named categories — excess cold, excess heat, falls (on the level, on stairs, and between levels), structural collapse, fire and explosions, electrical hazards, and domestic and personal hygiene.
- Excess cold
- Excess heat
- Falls (level, stairs, baths and between levels)
- Structural collapse
- Fire and explosions
- Electrical hazards
- Domestic and personal hygiene
The seven categories, and what a field record needs to capture
Each category below is already a capturable hazard type in HousingSurvey Pro's field app today — the evidence engine works the same way it does for damp and mould: geo-stamped, HHSRS-scored where relevant, locked and hash-chained on completion. Building the evidence habit now is independent of when the statutory clock for these hazards switches on.
Excess cold
Excess cold is threats to health from a home that cannot be kept adequately warm — inadequate heating, poor insulation and thermal bridging.
The field app captures: Heating type and adequacy, insulation, thermal bridging, and an on-site vulnerable-occupant cold-risk note.
Already a live, capturable hazard type on the platform today (shipped ahead of this Phase 2 build) — its own Awaab’s Law clock follows the same Phase 2 date below.
Excess heat
Excess heat is threats from excessively high indoor temperatures, and an inability to cool the home or seek relief because of building defects.
The field app captures: Window openability and restrictors, shading, purge and background ventilation, orientation and glazing ratio, measured temperatures, mechanical cooling or MVHR, and the occupant’s ability to manage heat.
Falls (level, stairs, baths and between levels)
Falls covers falls on the level (including falls associated with baths), falling on stairs, and falling between levels — three separate HHSRS profiles captured through one consolidated assessment.
The field app captures: Stairs, handrails and balustrades; guarding heights, measured; level changes and thresholds; bath grab rails and slip resistance; window restrictors; and drop heights and landing surfaces.
Structural collapse
Structural collapse is the threat of structural failure — the maintenance of a building's structural integrity, and displaced or falling components inside and outside the home.
The field app captures: Crack widths against the BRE Digest 251 categories, ceiling condition and sag, balconies, retaining and boundary walls, chimneys, roof elements, and progression since onset.
Fire and explosions
Fire and explosions covers uncontrolled fire, smoke, fumes, heat and explosions from combustion or system failures, including blast effects, flying debris and resulting structural collapse.
The field app captures: Alarm grade and coverage, escape routes, compartmentation and fire doors, gas appliances and flues, suspected gas leaks, the hot water cylinder, and other ignition sources.
Electrical hazards
Electrical hazards are unsafe electrical installations and equipment — the risk of shock, burns and injury from defective wiring, deteriorated components or inadequate maintenance.
The field app captures: EICR presence and date, C1/C2/C3 observation codes, consumer unit type and RCD protection, exposed live parts, socket and accessory condition, and accessibility to children.
Domestic and personal hygiene
Domestic and personal hygiene covers conditions that prevent cleanliness and hygiene — poor design, layout or construction, pest infestation or inadequate waste disposal — and, under the reformed 21-profile HHSRS, also absorbs food safety and personal hygiene, sanitation and drainage.
The field app captures: Sanitary facilities, washing facilities, drainage and soil pipe condition, pest evidence, refuse storage, kitchen and food-preparation surfaces, and hot water for hygiene.
What are the Awaab's Law Phase 2 timescales?
Phase 2 does not introduce a new clock — it applies the existing Awaab's Law timescales to the hazard categories above:
| Stage | Timescale | Clock starts |
|---|---|---|
| Investigate a potential significant hazard | Within 10 working days | When the landlord becomes aware |
| Written summary | Normally within 3 working days | When the investigation concludes |
| Make safe / begin relevant safety work | Within 5 working days | When the investigation concludes |
| Supplementary preventative work (long-stop) | Begin or take steps within 5 working days; physical work no later than 12 weeks | When the investigation concludes |
| Emergency hazard | Investigate and make safe within 24 hours | When the landlord becomes aware |
These figures already apply today to damp and mould and to emergency hazards of any type under Phase 1 — see the full statutory timeline explained. Phase 2 is the same clock, pointed at a wider set of hazards, from 30 November 2026.
How do you tell if a Phase 2 hazard is an emergency or a significant hazard?
GOV.UK's Phase 2 triage guidance frames the judgement as a "reasonable landlord" test: would a notional reasonable landlord make this hazard safe within 24 hours (emergency), or does it fit within 15 working days (significant)? That 15-working-day figure is simply the 10 days allowed to investigate plus the 5 days allowed to make safe, added together as a triage heuristic — it is not a separate, fourth statutory deadline. The guidance also introduces per-category significant/emergency indicators, prompt questions and occupant-vulnerability factors (age, respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, mobility or sensory impairment, pregnancy, high indoor time) to support that judgement, and confirms that temporary measures can satisfy the "make safe" requirement while longer-term works proceed. The judgement itself remains the landlord's and the assessor's — software can structure the record, not make the call.
Does Phase 2 depend on the 2026 HHSRS reform?
Yes. SI 2026/571 reduced the Housing Health and Safety Rating System from 29 to 21 hazard profiles and replaced the old A–J bands with three plain bands — High (Category 1, score 1,000+), Medium and Low — in force since 23 June 2026. Phase 2's prescribed hazards are drawn from that reformed 21-profile system. Read the deep dive on HHSRS hazard scoring for how the scoring formula itself works.
What to evidence for a Phase 2 hazard
- The awareness date — when the landlord first knew, which may be before any work order exists.
- The specific observation for that hazard category — not just "electrical fault" or "structural crack", but the measured detail the category above lists.
- The significant/emergency judgement and the reasoning behind it, including any vulnerability factors considered.
- Dated, geo-stamped photos tied to the same property record as the finding.
- Whether a temporary measure was used to make safe, and what longer-term works followed.
How HousingSurvey Pro helps you prepare
Every hazard category above is already a live, capturable hazard type in the field app — the same evidence engine as damp and mould: geo-stamped, hash-chained on completion, and flowing into your case-management system by API, webhook, EDI or SFTP. Each hazard type's capture form can also be configured per organisation, so a housing association isn't asked for condensation analysis on an electrical inspection. And because the statutory clock is hazard-aware, a Phase 2 hazard case shows an honest "not yet in force" note today rather than a fabricated deadline — the moment the regulations are actually confirmed made, the clock switches on without anyone touching a work order.
More on Awaab's Law
- Awaab's Law & the evidence question (overview)
- The full statutory timeline explained
- HHSRS damp & mould hazard scoring
- Awaab's Law software for housing associations
- Awaab's Law for repairs contractors
- The Awaab's Law deadline calculator
- How the evidence chain works across every hazard type
Frequently asked questions
What is Awaab's Law Phase 2?
Phase 2 extends Awaab's Law's investigation, written-summary and make-safe duties beyond damp and mould to seven further prescribed hazard categories: excess cold, excess heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and explosions, electrical hazards, and domestic and personal hygiene and food safety. It is delivered by the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations.
Is Awaab's Law Phase 2 already in force?
No. Phase 2 commences 30 November 2026. The amendment regulations were laid before Parliament on 13 July 2026 and are subject to parliamentary approval — they have not yet been made. Phase 1 has applied since 27 October 2025 and already covers damp and mould plus every emergency hazard of any HHSRS profile, so an urgent non-damp hazard reported today is not currently outside Awaab's Law.
What are the Awaab's Law Phase 2 timescales?
The same statutory clock that already applies to damp and mould under Phase 1 extends to the new hazard categories: investigate a potential significant hazard within 10 working days of awareness, normally issue a written summary within 3 working days of the investigation concluding, complete relevant safety work and begin supplementary preventative work within 5 working days of it concluding (with a 12-week long-stop for the physical start of supplementary works), and investigate and make safe any emergency hazard within 24 hours.
How do you tell if a Phase 2 hazard is an emergency or a significant hazard?
GOV.UK's Phase 2 triage guidance frames it as a 'reasonable landlord' test: would a notional reasonable landlord judge that this hazard needs making safe within 24 hours (emergency), or does it fit within 15 working days (significant)? That 15-working-day figure is the cumulative 10 days to investigate plus 5 days to make safe — a triage heuristic for judging urgency, not a separate fourth statutory deadline.
Does Phase 2 depend on the 2026 HHSRS reform?
Yes. SI 2026/571 reduced HHSRS from 29 to 21 hazard profiles and replaced the A-J bands with High/Medium/Low, in force since 23 June 2026. Phase 2's prescribed hazards are drawn from that reformed 21-profile system — falls, for example, is scored as three separate profiles (falls on the level, which includes falls associated with baths; falling on stairs; and falling between levels).
Can we capture evidence for Phase 2 hazards before the law commences?
Yes. HousingSurvey Pro's field app already has capture built for every Phase 2 hazard category today, end to end, so surveys can start now and the evidence trail is already contemporaneous and hash-chained by the time the statutory clock switches on. The platform will not show a Phase 2 statutory deadline on a non-emergency case until the regulations are actually confirmed in force.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Phase 2 has not commenced: the amendment regulations were laid before Parliament on 13 July 2026 and remain subject to parliamentary approval. Always confirm current requirements with your compliance team.