Awaab's Law

From 2026, the next phase of Awaab's Law expands the requirements placed on social housing landlords beyond damp and mould, covering a wider range of housing hazards that may affect residents' health, safety and wellbeing.

At Habinteg, tenants can continue to report repairs and property concerns using the same methods:

• Call our Customer Service Team on 0300 365 3100
• Email direct@habinteg.org.uk
• Complete the online repair or damp and mould reporting forms

When you contact us, your report will be assessed and triaged by our team to determine the level of risk and ensure the correct response times are applied. This means that emergency hazards will receive an urgent response, while other significant hazards will be investigated and managed within the timescales required by Awaab's Law.

Examples of hazards covered by Awaab's Law

As well as damp and mould, examples of housing hazards that may require investigation and action include:

• Severe water leaks or flooding.
• Unsafe electrical installations.
• Fire safety concerns within the home or communal areas.
• Gas safety issues or suspected carbon monoxide risks.
• Structural defects that could cause injury.
• Blocked drains or sewage ingress.
• Excess cold caused by heating failures or poor insulation.
• Excess heat in hotter weather
• Unsafe stairs, floors or trip hazards.
• Problems affecting ventilation and indoor air quality
• Any property defect that could have a significant impact on your health, safety or wellbeing.

Emergency hazards

Some hazards may present an immediate and serious risk to health or safety and require urgent action. Examples include:

• A gas leak.
• Dangerous electrical faults.
• Significant flooding affecting electrics or the structure of the home.
• Structural failure or risk of collapse.
• Fire safety defects presenting an immediate danger.
• Extensive damp and mould where there is a serious risk to health, particularly for vulnerable residents.

If a reported issue is identified as an emergency hazard, Habinteg will take appropriate action as quickly as possible to make the situation safe and arrange any further remedial works required.

Awaab's Law phase 2 timescales

When Habinteg becomes aware of a reported hazard:

Habinteg's timescales for reported hazards

Requirement	Timescale
Investigate a potential emergency hazard	Within 24 hours
Complete emergency works to make the hazard safe	Within 24 hours
Investigate a potential significant hazard	Within 10 working days
Provide the resident with a written summary of findings following the investigation	Within 3 working days
Begin any further works required to remove the hazard	Within 5 working days of the investigation concluding (unless an exception applies)
Complete works within a reasonable timeframe and keep residents informed of progress	Ongoing requirement

  Our commitment

We take all reports of damp, mould and other housing-related hazards seriously. We will investigate concerns, identify the root cause of any problem, keep residents informed throughout the process and take action in line with our legal obligations under Awaab's Law. We will also consider the needs of vulnerable residents whose health may be adversely affected by housing conditions.