On 30 November 2026, Awaab's Law stops being mainly about damp and mould. Phase 2 brings in a set of hazards from the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), and Phase 3 in 2027 is planned to bring in almost all the rest.
The deadlines stay the same. What changes is how much an inspection has to cover, and how many investigations will be running against those deadlines at once.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Check the Awaab's Law Phase 2 guidance on GOV.UK.
What Is Already in Scope
Since 27 October 2025, Phase 1 has covered:
- Damp and mould that present a significant risk of harm
- All emergency hazards, of any type apart from overcrowding
What Phase 2 Adds on 30 November 2026
From 30 November 2026, the significant hazard requirements extend to:
- Excess cold
- Excess heat
- Falls, including falls on the level, on stairs and between levels
- Structural collapse
- Fire and explosions
- Electrical hazards
- Domestic and personal hygiene, and food safety
For these hazards, the same timescales apply as for damp and mould: investigate within 10 working days, written summary within 3 working days of the investigation concluding, and relevant safety work within 5 working days. See Awaab's Law timescales explained.
Phase 3 in 2027
The government has said that in 2027 it will extend the requirements to all remaining HHSRS hazards, apart from overcrowding, where they present a significant risk of harm. No exact date has been set.
What Is the HHSRS?
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System is the risk-based method used in England to assess hazards in homes. It identifies 29 hazards, grouped by the kind of harm they cause.
Physiological requirements:
- Damp and mould growth
- Excess cold
- Excess heat
- Asbestos and manufactured mineral fibres
- Biocides
- Carbon monoxide and fuel combustion products
- Lead
- Radiation
- Uncombusted fuel gas
- Volatile organic compounds
Psychological requirements:
- Crowding and space
- Entry by intruders
- Lighting
- Noise
Protection against infection:
- Domestic hygiene, pests and refuse
- Food safety
- Personal hygiene, sanitation and drainage
- Water supply
Protection against accidents:
- Falls associated with baths
- Falling on level surfaces
- Falling on stairs
- Falling between levels
- Electrical hazards
- Fire
- Flames and hot surfaces
- Collision and entrapment
- Explosions
- Position and operability of amenities
- Structural collapse and falling elements
Crowding and space is the one hazard the government has said Awaab's Law will not cover.
What Phase 2 Means for Inspections
A damp and mould inspection form is not enough after 30 November 2026. An operative who visits for mould and walks past a loose stair handrail or an exposed socket has seen a potential hazard, and the landlord may now be aware of it.
Three practical changes follow:
- Inspection forms need sections for the new hazards, not just damp and mould
- Operatives visiting for any reason need a simple way to record a hazard they notice, with a photograph and the room, so the clock starts with a proper record
- Findings need classifying consistently, as significant, emergency or neither, with the reason recorded
The competence question also widens. A surveyor experienced in damp may not be the right person to investigate an electrical or structural hazard, and the record should show who investigated and why they were competent to.
Preparing Before 30 November
- Review inspection forms against the Phase 2 hazard list
- Brief every operative and contractor who enters homes on what to record when they see a potential hazard
- Check that reports from contractors and managing agents reach the right team the same day
- Make sure every inspection records the room, photographs, the inspector and the date
- Check the record keeping list against what you capture today
How SiteSurvey Helps
SiteSurvey forms are editable, so a damp and mould form can be extended to cover the Phase 2 hazards, or a separate form built for each hazard type, using the AI form builder or visually. Every finding is recorded against the room with marked-up photographs, and every entry records who captured it and when.
SiteSurvey does not decide whether a hazard is significant, and it does not track the legal deadlines. See the damp and mould inspection app or safety inspection software.
