Awaab's Law Phase 2 Rollout: 2026 and 2027 Hazard Expansions

What Awaab’s Law Phase 2 Means for Landlords in 2026 and 2027

Most people in the housing sector know the name Awaab Ishak. The two-year-old boy died in 2020 after prolonged exposure to mould in his Rochdale home, a tragedy that led to Awaab’s Law. Phase 1 came into force on 27 October 2025, placing fixed legal timescales on social landlords in England to deal with significant damp and mould hazards and all emergency hazards. The government always intended to extend it in phases.

Status as of 6 October 2026: The government laid draft amending regulations on 13 July 2026 and has published Phase 2 guidance for social landlords. It says Phase 2 will come into force on 30 November 2026, subject to Parliamentary approval (Awaab’s Law: Regulations, GOV.UK). At the time of writing, legislation.gov.uk lists the amending regulations as a draft instrument that has not yet been made. Phase 3 is expected in 2027, but no date has been confirmed. Check GOV.UK for the latest position.

This article explains what Phase 2 is expected to cover, what the government has said about Phase 3, and what practical steps landlords can take now.

Key Takeaways

• Phase 2 is expected from 30 November 2026: The government says the amending regulations will come into force on that date, subject to Parliamentary approval.

• Expected Phase 2 hazards: Excess cold, excess heat, falls (on the level, on stairs and between levels), structural collapse, fire and explosions, electrical hazards, and domestic hygiene (including personal hygiene and food safety), where they present a significant risk of harm.

• The timescales stay the same: Phase 2 adds hazards to the existing structure; it does not change the damp and mould timescales already in force.

• Phase 3 is expected in 2027: The government has said it will extend the requirements to the remaining HHSRS hazards, apart from overcrowding. No date has been set.

• Proactive inspection is good practice, not a new legal duty: Awaab’s Law timescales start when a landlord becomes aware of a potential hazard. The Regulator of Social Housing separately expects landlords to understand the condition of their homes.

Phase 2 (expected 30 November 2026): Cold, Heat, Fire and More

According to the government’s Phase 2 guidance and its 13 July 2026 announcement, Phase 2 is expected to extend the significant hazard requirements to:

• excess cold
• excess heat
• 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

Emergency hazards remain covered, as they have been since Phase 1.

In practice, a heating failure that leaves a home dangerously cold, a fire safety defect or an electrical hazard that presents a significant risk of harm would, once Phase 2 is in force, fall under the same structure as damp and mould: investigate within 10 working days of becoming aware, give the tenant a written summary within 3 working days, and carry out safety and preventative works within the set periods.

Awaab’s Law itself is triggered when the landlord becomes aware of a potential hazard; it does not create a new legal duty to inspect. But inspecting proactively is sensible best practice. It fits the Regulator of Social Housing’s Safety and Quality Standard, which requires landlords to have an accurate, up to date and evidenced understanding of the condition of their homes, and it means fewer hazards are found for the first time through a tenant’s report.

A practical example: a property visit that previously focused on visible mould and condensation could also include a check of heating performance, a look at smoke and heat alarms, and a review of electrical safety records. Building these checks into existing visits is more efficient than scheduling them separately.

Phase 3 (expected 2027): The Remaining HHSRS Hazards

The government has said that in Phase 3 it will extend the regulations to all remaining hazards in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), apart from overcrowding, where they present a significant risk of harm. Its July 2026 announcement says this is expected in 2027. No commencement date or draft regulations for Phase 3 have been published.

What this signals is that the government intends Awaab’s Law to cover most significant hazards in social homes over time. Landlords who treat each phase as a separate project may find themselves constantly catching up. A sensible approach is to treat the full HHSRS hazard list as the eventual baseline and build towards it now.

How the Expansion Affects Day-to-Day Landlord Practice

More hazards under fixed timescales means more documentation and a higher management workload. That’s not a criticism of the legislation; it’s something landlords need to plan for.

Organisations that handle this well invest in proper systems for tracking inspections, logging repairs and keeping clear records of tenant communications. Whether you manage 50 homes or 5,000, you need a process that can show you met your obligations for every covered hazard.

A common pattern is that the Phase 1 documentation burden stretched housing teams that weren’t prepared for it. Phase 2 and Phase 3 apply the same structure to more hazard types, so the volume of records will grow.

The practical recommendation is straightforward: map your current inspection and maintenance processes against the expected Phase 2 hazards and the wider HHSRS list now. Identify the gaps. Build those checks into your standard property visits before 30 November 2026. Under the government guidance, the timescales run from when the landlord becomes aware of a potential hazard, so finding and fixing problems early is the most comfortable position to be in.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Awaab’s Law Phase 2 and how does it differ from Phase 1?
Phase 1, in force since 27 October 2025, covers significant damp and mould hazards and all emergency hazards. Phase 2 is expected from 30 November 2026, subject to Parliamentary approval, and extends the same timescale structure to further hazards including excess cold and heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and explosions, electrical hazards and domestic hygiene.

Is the Phase 2 start date confirmed?
The government says Phase 2 will come into force on 30 November 2026, subject to Parliamentary approval. As of 6 October 2026, legislation.gov.uk lists the amending regulations as a draft that has not yet been made, so check GOV.UK for the current position.

What happens in Phase 3?
The government has said Phase 3 will extend the requirements to the remaining HHSRS hazards, apart from overcrowding, and expects this in 2027. No date or draft regulations have been published.

Does Phase 2 require landlords to carry out proactive inspections?
Awaab’s Law does not create a new inspection duty; its timescales start when the landlord becomes aware of a potential hazard. Proactive inspection is good practice and supports the Regulator of Social Housing’s expectation that landlords understand the condition of their homes.

What happens if landlords fail to comply once Phase 2 is in force?
The same routes apply as for Phase 1. The requirements are an implied term of the tenancy, so tenants can bring a claim for breach of contract. Tenants can complain to the Housing Ombudsman, and the Regulator of Social Housing provides regulatory scrutiny. There is no fixed fine schedule under these regulations.

In this series

Part 3 of 12 in Awaab’s Law: The Complete Guide for Landlords (2026).

• ⬅ Previous: Awaab’s Law Damp and Mould Timelines: Investigation and Repair Deadlines
• ➡ Next: Tenant Lifestyle Myth: Why Landlords Must Fix Root Causes Under Awaab’s Law