26 October 2026 | Smart Installers
As the legislation reaches its first year, the question is not simply whether housing providers understand the new deadlines.
It is whether those deadlines are helping to deliver safer homes and lasting improvements for residents.
Where We Started
The first phase of Awaab's Law introduced legally enforceable timescales for investigating and addressing emergency hazards and significant damp and mould hazards.
Under Phase 1, social landlords must:
Investigate potential emergency hazards and complete necessary safety work within 24 hours of becoming aware of the hazard.
Investigate potential significant damp and mould hazards within 10 working days.
Generally provide a written summary of investigation findings within three working days of the investigation concluding.
Complete necessary safety work within five working days of an investigation identifying a significant hazard.
Take steps towards additional preventative work within the required timescales, where applicable.
Where a home cannot be made safe within the prescribed timescales, landlords must offer suitable alternative accommodation.
These requirements are intended to ensure serious concerns are investigated promptly and acted upon.
But effective housing management requires more than meeting a deadline. It requires communication, accountability and appropriate action to address the underlying problem.
A completed repair is not always the same as a resolved issue.
What Has Changed in the First Year?
We now have some early evidence of how the legislation is working.
Government-commissioned Test and Learn research, published in July 2026, examined the experiences of 30 social housing tenants and 35 social landlords.
The research identified signs of improved prioritisation of serious hazards, stronger senior oversight and changes to case management.
However, experiences were inconsistent.
Some residents described prompt action and clear communication. Others reported delays, fragmented case handling and poor follow-through.
The research also highlighted difficulties balancing the need for a quick response with the need to diagnose and address the underlying cause of a problem.
These findings need to be understood in context.
The study was qualitative, with fieldwork carried out between December 2025 and March 2026. It provides valuable early insight, but it is not a representative national assessment of outcomes across the entire first year.
Nevertheless, it highlights an important distinction:
An investigation completed on time is not necessarily a problem resolved.
For housing providers, a reliable evidence trail should connect the original concern, investigation, communication with the resident, remedial work and appropriate follow-up.
The question should not simply be:
"Has the job been completed?"
It should also be:
"What evidence do we have that the issue has been appropriately addressed?"
What Happens Next?
From 30 November 2026, the second phase of Awaab's Law is due to extend the requirements to additional significant housing hazards.
These include:
Excess cold and excess heat.
Falls.
Structural collapse and falling elements.
Fire and explosions.
Electrical hazards.
Domestic hygiene, including personal hygiene and food safety.
Emergency hazards were already within scope under Phase 1. The second phase extends the range of significant hazards covered by the legislation.
A further phase is intended during 2027 to cover the remaining relevant hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, excluding overcrowding.
This will place greater emphasis on consistent processes across different types of property risk.
There are also developments beyond social housing.
On 9 October 2026, the government opened a consultation on extending Awaab's Law to private rented tenancies and certain accommodation occupied under licence.
The consultation is open until 18 December 2026.
Although the direction of travel is clear, the detailed arrangements under consultation should not be confused with requirements already in force.
For housing providers, the next challenge will be managing a broader range of hazards while maintaining clear responsibilities, effective communication and reliable records.
Looking Ahead 12 Months
By October 2027, progress should be judged by outcomes as well as activity.
Are residents receiving clearer updates?
Are serious concerns being investigated and addressed promptly?
Are recurring problems being identified?
Can housing providers demonstrate what happened from the first report through to an appropriate resolution?
Environmental monitoring technology can support this process by providing readings, alerts and historical records.
However, sensors cannot replace competent inspections, professional judgement or the physical work required to make a property safe.
The real opportunity is to connect information with action, creating a clearer understanding of property conditions and the steps taken to address concerns.
At Smart Installers, we believe that collecting data is only the beginning.
Its real value comes when it helps housing providers make informed decisions, coordinate appropriate action and retain useful evidence.
Awaab's Law began with a devastating failure to respond adequately to a family's concerns.
The next 12 months must be about demonstrating that those lessons are changing what happens inside people's homes.
Don't collect readings. Collect evidence.
Smart Installers – Turning Building Data into Better Decisions.
Sources and Further Reading
The following official publications and independent housing-sector resources were checked on 26 October 2026.
1. GOV.UK – Awaab's Law Phase 1: Guidance for Social Landlords
Official guidance covering the requirements introduced on 27 October 2025, including investigation timescales, safety work, communication and landlord responsibilities.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awaabs-law-guidance-for-social-landlords
2. GOV.UK – Awaab's Law: Test and Learn Research Report
Government-commissioned qualitative research published on 13 July 2026, involving 30 social housing tenants and 35 social landlords.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awaabs-law-phase-1-test-and-learn-research-report/awaabs-law-test-and-learn-research-report-executive-summary-accessible-version
3. GOV.UK – Awaab's Law Phase 2: Guidance for Social Landlords
Official guidance covering the additional significant hazards due to come within scope from 30 November 2026.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awaabs-law-phase-2-guidance-for-social-housing-landlords/awaabs-law-phase-2-guidance-for-social-landlords
4. Housing Ombudsman – Awaab's Law Learning Resources
Practical guidance, complaint-handling expectations and learning resources concerning housing hazards, landlord responses and resident experiences.
https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/centre-for-learning/key-topics/awaabs-law/
5. GOV.UK – Awaab's Law: Guidance for Tenants in Social Housing
Government guidance explaining residents' rights, what to expect from their landlord and what action they can take if concerns are not addressed.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awaabs-law-guidance-for-tenants-in-social-housing/awaabs-law-guidance-for-tenants-in-social-housing
6. GOV.UK – Extending Awaab's Law to Private Rented Tenancies and Licences
Government consultation published on 9 October 2026, seeking views on the proposed extension of protections beyond existing social housing tenancy arrangements.
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/extending-awaabs-law-to-private-rented-tenancies-and-to-licences
About Smart Installers
Smart Installers supports housing providers, landlords and property managers with environmental monitoring, property intelligence and evidence-led decision-making.
By connecting environmental data with investigations, actions and historical records, we help organisations build a clearer understanding of their properties and the issues requiring attention.
Smart Installers Ltd
Website: https://smart-installers.co.uk/
Email: ian@smart-installers.co.uk
Telephone: 0800 152 2099