Which hazards Awaab's Law Phase 2 is expected to cover
Prepare for thirteen operational hazard terms across excess cold/heat, falls, structural collapse, explosions, fire, electrical hazards, hygiene, and food safety without treating the list as final in-force regulation.
Theo ChavannesFounder, Chavannes Ltd
Chavannes Ltd
Theo Chavannes is a London-based software and ML engineer building source-linked workflow and evidence tools for regulated UK teams.
Author note: this author profile is not a solicitor profile and does not provide legal advice.
Short answer
Awaab's Law Phase 2 is expected to extend the regulations in England to a wider set of significant housing hazards in 2026, with sector coverage pointing to October 2026. Final regulations remain pending, so EvidenceTrail treats the list below as announced preparation content rather than current legal scope: preparing for announced Phase 2, not claiming live statutory capability.
HHSRS context and England-only scope
The announced Phase 2 hazards sit within the Housing Health and Safety Rating System context used for social housing hazard assessment in England. This page is for English social landlords only. It does not describe Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, private rented sector duties, or final Phase 2 regulations.
Thirteen expected operational categories
| Hazard term | Operational evidence implication |
|---|---|
| Excess cold | Heating, insulation, ventilation, vulnerability, and temporary-heating records. |
| Excess heat | Heat-risk triage, resident vulnerability, ventilation, shading, and escalation notes. |
| Falls associated with baths | Bathing access, adaptations, inspection photos, repair orders, and resident support needs. |
| Falls on level surfaces | Flooring defects, trip reports, inspection notes, photos, and completed works. |
| Falls associated with stairs | Stair, handrail, lighting, threshold, inspection, and repair evidence. |
| Falls between levels | Balcony, window, guard, rail, landing, and urgent make-safe records. |
| Structural collapse | Surveyor notes, photos, temporary works, decant decisions, and escalation ownership. |
| Explosions | Gas, fuel, pressure, appliance, attendance, isolation, and specialist evidence. |
| Fire | Fire-door, alarm, compartmentation, escape-route, inspection, and make-safe records. |
| Electrical hazards | Electrical inspection, isolation, repair, certification, contractor, and tenant-update records. |
| Domestic hygiene | Sanitation, drainage, waste, pest, cleaning-access, and repair evidence. |
| Personal hygiene | Bathroom, washing, water, accessibility, support-need, and repair records. |
| Food safety | Kitchen, water, pest, storage, appliance, repair, and inspection evidence. |
Hazard glossary links
Use these in-page glossary links when briefing triage, repairs, complaints, and contractor teams before final regulations are published.
Boundary for teams
These categories are useful for data readiness and rehearsal. They should not be encoded as final statutory routes until the final Phase 2 regulations are published and reviewed. EvidenceTrail is preparing for announced Phase 2 through draft modelling and evidence review; it does not guarantee legal compliance, Ombudsman findings, regulator acceptance, or litigation outcomes.
FAQ
Are these Phase 2 categories already in force?
No. This page uses announced and expected wording only. Final regulations remain pending.
Should landlords wait for final regulations before preparing?
No. Landlords can map repair codes, evidence capture, contractor records, and triage prompts now while keeping legal conclusions reserved until final wording is available.
Sources checked
- GOV.UK Awaab's Law guidance for social landlords Jurisdiction/scope: England
- Chartered Institute of Housing: Awaab's Law is now in force Jurisdiction/scope: England
- Mobysoft: Awaab's Law Phase 2 is coming Jurisdiction/scope: England
Review sign-off
- Humanizer: PASS
- Legal-safety: PASS
- SME: PASS
- External solicitor review: NOT OBTAINED
EvidenceTrail supports evidence gathering and operational review. It does not guarantee legal compliance, regulator acceptance, Ombudsman findings, or litigation outcomes.