Is Awaab's Law in Force? Current Status, Phases, and Key Dates

Yes. Awaab's Law Phase 1 has been in force since 27 October 2025 for registered providers of social housing in England. If you are a housing officer, compliance lead, or director of property, the statutory repair timeframes for damp, mould, and emergency hazards are live — and missing them now carries regulatory consequences.

If you need the short version and a timeline, you are in the right place. If you need the full framework, see The Complete Guide to Awaab's Law.

Quick Answer: Current Status

Phase 1: In Force Since October 2025

Section 42 of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, implemented through the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025, came into force on 27 October 2025. Since that date, every registered provider of social housing in England has been required to meet the following timescales:

• Emergency hazards — investigate and make safe within 24 hours of becoming aware.
• Significant damp and mould — investigate within 10 working days, provide written summary within 3 working days of investigation, complete safety works within 5 working days of investigation, begin supplementary preventative works within 5 working days of investigation with physical start within 12 weeks.

Working days exclude weekends and England and Wales bank holidays. The GOV.UK guidance is the authoritative reference — always check it for any recent updates.

Use the deadline calculator to see the exact dates for any scenario.

Phase 2: Expected in 2026

Phase 2 will extend Awaab's Law to 13 additional HHSRS hazard categories, including falls, fire, electrical hazards, excess cold, excess heat, structural hazards, and hygiene-related hazards. The exact start date is not yet confirmed — GOV.UK guidance refers to "2026" without a specific month.

The timescales are expected to follow the Phase 1 framework (10 working days to investigate, 5 to make safe, 3 for the written summary), though the regulations are subject to final publication.

For a breakdown of what Phase 2 covers and how to prepare, see Awaab's Law Phase 2: What's Changing in 2026 and How to Prepare. Use the phase checker to look up any specific HHSRS hazard and see which phase covers it.

Phase 3: Expected in 2027

Phase 3 will complete the transition by extending Awaab's Law to all remaining HHSRS hazard categories (except crowding and space, which are addressed under separate legislation). Expected in 2027, though the date is not yet confirmed.

Scotland: October 2026

Scotland is introducing its own equivalent to Awaab's Law through the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025. The Scottish Government announced that the Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026 are reported to come into force on 6 October 2026, with timescales closely mirroring the English version.

For a side-by-side comparison of the English and Scottish versions, see Does Awaab's Law Apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?.

Private Rented Sector: Subject to Consultation

Awaab's Law does not yet apply to private landlords in England. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 includes provisions to extend similar requirements to the private rented sector as part of Phase 3 of its implementation roadmap, but the date is subject to consultation and has not been set.

For more on what the private sector extension will likely require and what private landlords can do to prepare, see Does Awaab's Law Apply to Private Landlords?.

Consequences of Non-Compliance (Phase 1)

Because Phase 1 is already live, the enforcement consequences apply now — not in some future phase:

• Housing Ombudsman determinations and severe maladministration findings — the Ombudsman made 7,082 determinations in 2024-25 with 714 severe findings
• Regulator of Social Housing action — regulatory notices, required improvement plans, restrictions on provider activity
• Disrepair litigation — individual and bulk claims from tenants or no-win-no-fee solicitors using statutory breach as evidence

If you are still treating Awaab's Law as a future compliance project, you are behind. The legal test has been live since October 2025. For a practical compliance framework for providers under 5,000 units, see How Small Housing Associations Can Comply Without Enterprise Software.

What to Do Next

• If you manage Phase 1 hazards in spreadsheets or shared calendars, verify that your deadlines are being calculated correctly with the working-day rules using the deadline calculator.
• If you are preparing for Phase 2 in 2026, read the Phase 2 preparation guide and use the phase checker to map your hazard types to the coming requirements.
• If you want automated case tracking, countdown alerts, and audit-ready evidence for every case, join the HazardClock waitlist. We are building an affordable compliance tracker for providers under 5,000 units.

This is general guidance for UK social housing providers, not legal advice. Regulatory dates may shift — always confirm against the latest GOV.UK guidance.

Sources

• Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 (c. 36) — legislation.gov.uk
• Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 — legislation.gov.uk
• Awaab's Law: Guidance for social landlords — Timeframes for repairs in the social rented sector — GOV.UK
• Awaab's Law to come to Scotland — gov.scot
• Renters' Rights Act 2025 (c. 26) — legislation.gov.uk
• Annual Complaints Review 2024-25 — Housing Ombudsman