Awaab’s Law Update

MHCLG has published a series of updates on Awaab’s Law in preparation for Phase 2 which will be rolled out from 30th November 2026 and increase the number of the hazards covered under the regulations

Awaab’s Law Phase 1 – Test and Learn Report (July 2026)

MHCLG commissioned Verian to undertake a ‘test and learn’ exercise in respect of the implementation of Awaab’s Law Phase 1 in October 2025. The research involved interviews and focus groups with social housing tenants and landlords across England and has been used to inform the approach on implementation of the second phase of Awaab’s Law.

Key findings – Phase 1 implementation:

•  Awaab’s Law is starting to change behaviour across the sector, with landlords giving greater priority to serious hazards, particularly damp and mould.
• There is evidence of increased landlord accountability and strengthened organisational oversight of housing hazards. However, implementation has been uneven, with varying levels of preparedness, resources and operational capability evident among landlords.
• Tenants have generally welcomed the introduction of Awaab’s Law and felt it provided stronger rights and leverage when reporting hazards. However, awareness of the legislation among tenants was found to be relatively low, and often limited to damp and mould rather than hazards more generally.
• Tenants reported mixed experiences. Whilst emergency hazards were often addressed quickly, damp and mould cases frequently took weeks or months to resolve. Tenants were most dissatisfied when landlords appeared focused on meeting deadlines rather than delivering a lasting solution.
• The researchers noted that most landlords demonstrated a strong understanding of the overall aims of Awaab’s Law and had introduced new processes, governance arrangements and monitoring systems to comply with the regulations.
• Landlords highlighted implementation challenges including contractor capacity issues, difficulty obtaining specialist damp and mould expertise financial constraints and problems achieving compliance timescales on more complex cases.
• Overall Awaab’s Law is driving positive cultural and operational change, but the sector is still adapting. The greatest challenge is moving from rapid compliance responses to consistently delivering permanent solutions to hazards, particularly damp and mould, while managing resource and capacity pressures.

Linked Resources and Publications

Awaab’s Law Phase 2: Guidance

Updated guidance on implementation of the second phase of Awaab’s Law, has now been published to allow landlords time to prepare for the changes ahead of the implementation on 30 November 2026.  The new requirements build on the measures introduced for Phase 1 in October 2025.

Phase 2 marks a major expansion of Awaab’s Law, increasing both the range of hazards covered and the importance of effective systems for early identification, tenant engagement and timely action /remediation.

From November 2026, Awaab’s Law will apply to additional hazards where they present a significant risk of harm, including:

• Excess cold
• Excess heat
• Falls hazards (including stairs and level changes)
• Structural collapse
• Fire and explosion risks
• Electrical hazards
• Domestic hygiene issues, including food safety and personal hygiene concerns.

The updated guidance reflects lessons learned from the first phase and introduces additional advice on hazard triage, access arrangements, written investigation summaries, fire safety considerations and practical implementation scenarios.

Key issues – Phase 2 Guidance

• Statutory response times introduced for damp and mould are being extended to a much wider range of housing hazards from 30 November 2026. Landlords therefore need robust systems for identifying, triaging, investigating and resolving hazards within prescribed timescales. If hazards cannot be made safe within the required timescales, landlords must provide suitable alternative accommodation at their own expense.
• Better hazard triage is essential to assess risk quickly and distinguish between significant and emergency hazards. The guidance places significant emphasis on staff training and having a structured triage process with clear escalation routes to ensure hazards are correctly categorised from first contact. The issue of triaging is dealt with separately within the guidance – see below.
• A new section in the guidance focusses on tenant communication. Landlords are expected to ensure residents understand their rights under Awaab’s Law and receive clear, accessible information throughout the investigation and repair process. The guidance emphasises transparent communication, accurate record keeping and effective escalation procedures.
• The guidance reinforces that landlords must not dismiss hazards on the basis of assumed tenant behaviour or “lifestyle”. The focus is on property-related defects or conditions that create hygiene, sanitation, or food safety risks. The key point is that carrying out everyday activities such as cooking, bathing and drying clothes are not considered a breach of tenancy and should not prevent landlord action.

Housing Sector Calls on P.M. to increase resources for Social and Affordable Homes Programme

CWAG joined 8 social housing representative bodies to call for urgent government action to safeguard and accelerate the delivery of new social and affordable homes. In a joint statement published by Inside Housing, sector leaders have highlighted two immediate priorities:

• Sign off current bids to the Social and Affordable Homes Programme to prevent disruption to development pipelines and maintain delivery momentum.
• Increase overall funding for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme, including additional investment in its early years, to match the sector’s ambition, accelerate delivery and support the construction of much-needed homes.

A letter was also written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham on the same, copying in Secretary of State, Angela Rayner and Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook.

Recent Publications

Regulatory Casework Review 2026 – Regulator of Social Housing

This annual report covers key themes from the Regulator’s economic and consumer regulation over the past year. The overarching message is that good governance is fundamental to tenant safety, financial resilience, value for money and service quality. 

Right to Buy Sales 2025/26

MHCLG has published the official outturn for Right to Buy sales in 2025/26. Local authorities reported 14,275 eligible sales in the year, an increase of 90% compared to 2024-25. The total number of property sales to tenants through the Right to Buy scheme since 1980 is 2,052,813.

Home Truths: Housing-led approaches to homelessness – IPPR North

IPPR researchers investigated three regions in England that have used devolved powers to develop housing-led approaches to tackle homelessness. The report makes a number of recommendations around strategic planning powers, tackling long-term empty properties and strengthening obligations on RPs to work with councils to house people experiencing homelessness.

More than Just Bricks and Mortar – Shelter

This report presents findings from longitudinal research into the impact of moving into a social rent home. It follows more than 1,000 social tenants, many of whom previously experienced homelessness, temporary accommodation, or insecure private renting. The report reinforces the wider social, health and economic benefits of access to social housing.

 No home to go to: how frozen Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates are causing homelessness

In this briefing, a range of homelessness, housing and older people’s charities, landlords, health organisations and advice organisations have come together on the issue of failure to uplift the Local Housing Allowance. LHA rates now only covering the rent on around 2% of privately advertised homes leaving many households struggling to cover their housing costs and increasing the risk of homelessness and poverty. The impacts are being felt throughout the housing system, including in higher demand for temporary accommodation, challenges moving on from supported housing, and greater pressure on local authorities and homelessness services.

Annual General Meeting

This year the CWAG AGM will be held on Teams on Thursday 1st October 2026 (10.00 – 12.00)

As well as the formal business of the AGM to review the general operating arrangements, work-plan, and financial affairs of the group, there are some important decisions for members on the future structure and direction of the group.

Our speaker this year will be Guy Marshall, Director of Fuza Ltd who will be discussing the challenges, risks and opportunities of AI for the social housing sector.

We are currently planning a joint webinar with the National Federation of ALMOs on Strategic AI awareness. The session aims to bring together councils and ALMOs to consider the implications of AI and governance for this sector. The session will focus on:

• Understanding AI risks, strategic opportunities, and the path to effective implementation.
• Focusing on strategic-level governance rather than technical complexities, empowering leaders to ask the right questions.
• Aligning strategic thinking between ALMOs and parent councils to foster a unified approach to AI adoption.

Government Watchdog to review quality of social housing

The National Audit Office (NAO) has announced that a research report into the quality of social housing is included in the 2026/27 work programme. The report will examine whether the reforms to the sector, and to the way it is regulated, are financially sustainable and likely to meet government’s aims for the quality of social housing.

The report will focus the following issues:

• How well the government (MHCLG) understands actual housing conditions and whether it has a clear and credible plan for improving these.
• Whether current regulatory arrangements are working effectively and as intended to ensure homes are safe and decent.
• Whether recent reforms (e.g. new standards, Awaab’s Law) are affordable and financially sustainable for landlords in the longer term.
• Effectiveness of regulation (including new consumer standards and safety requirements) in driving compliance and protecting tenants.
• The pace and scale of change and outcomes for tenants.

Consultation – VAT treatment of land intended for the construction of new social housing

HM Revenue & Customs and HM Treasury have published a joint consultation which looks at the VAT treatment of land intended for the construction of new social housing.

Through this consultation the government is seeking evidence on how the current VAT rules affect the feasibility and timing of social housing developments, and how the introduction of a new zero rate on the sale of bare land intended for social housing development might influence behaviour across the sector. The government is also seeking comments on the design of the proposed relief to inform the final design of the policy.

The consultation highlights that any relief will need to be targeted, effective and fiscally responsible. It must be genuinely supportive of social housing delivery whilst protecting vital tax revenues and minimising the scope for abuse.

Consultation closes 18 August 2026

The Housing Ombudsman has published three new reports:

Window Disrepair

This is the third report on window disrepair and related hazards in the ‘learning from severe maladministration’ series.  The report highlights a worrying pattern of “apathy” and delayed action on window repairs. Around 9% of window-related cases result in a finding of severe maladministration, much higher than the typical casework rate of 2%.

Main issues highlighted in the report:

• Window repairs are often subject to long delays and left unresolved for extended periods, sometimes lasting years despite clear risks to residents.
• Landlords frequently delay urgent works, deferring them to major works programmes which exposes residents to continuing hazards while waiting for long-term projects.
• Casework highlights failure to carry out proper risk assessments linking window related issues with other hazards including damp and mould, excess cold and structural issues.
• Landlords frequently ignore or fail to act on known vulnerabilities, and don’t adequately take into account the impact on residents.

 Handling of Pest Infestations

This report on findings from two “wider orders” on pest infestations involving different landlords.  One case related to pests accessing properties from communal areas, the other to a bed bug infestation within the property.

Both cases revealed failures in handling pest infestations, including:

• Delays which impacted residents, including children
• Poor escalation, limited treatment options, and inadequate compensation (e.g. bed bugs case)

• Common problems included unclear responsibility between landlord and tenant, poor record-keeping and reporting and weak coordination and oversight of contractors

The key learning points from these cases highlight the need for clear policies and responsibilities, proactive management along with good coordination and communication.

Pest hazards are expected to fall under Awaab’s Law, increasing scrutiny of landlord compliance in this area.

Continuous Learning

The latest insight report Learning from further investigations considers how root cause analysis can be used to better understand repeated failures and strengthen learning from complaints.

Complaints should be treated not just as individual cases but as intelligence which should be actively analysed to identify recurring patterns and diagnose systemic weaknesses.

Root cause analysis enables organisations to look beyond human error explanations to identify and address deeper organisational issues. You cannot reduce complaints or improve services without systematically understanding and fixing the root causes of failure across policies, processes, systems, and governance.

Government responds to HCLG Committee report on poor housing conditions in temporary accommodation

In April the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee published a report on Housing Conditions in Temporary Accommodation which found that too many households are living in poor-quality temporary accommodation, with conditions that are unsafe and sometimes unfit for habitation. The report argued that temporary accommodation should be safe, decent, suitable, and genuinely temporary, and that government and councils needed to apply higher standards, stronger enforcement, and increase the supply of good quality accommodation to protect homeless households, especially children.

MHCLG has now published the Government’s response which acknowledges that too many households—particularly families with children—are living in poor‑quality temporary accommodation and frames this as part of a wider “broken system” of rising homelessness.

The response accepts many of the Committee’s concerns and commits to improving standards through its National Plan to End Homelessness (December 2025), which includes strengthening protections, extending the application of the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law to temporary accommodation, and taking wider action on other issues of concern such as ‘out‑of‑area’ placements.

The Government response restates its commitment to eliminating the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families, except in emergencies. The government has also launched the first year of a three-year £30 million Emergency Accommodation Reduction Programme which seeks to end the illegal use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families by the end of this Parliament and improve the quality and suitability of temporary accommodation placements.

Regulator of Social Housing Updates:

More and Better Homes – Open call for evidence

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has initiated an open call for evidence to inform a formal consultation on revising the economic standard which is expected in 2027.

Whilst the economic standard does not apply directly to local authorities, the issues raised in the consultation signal a significant shift in regulatory expectations with potential implications for council business planning.

The RSH is signalling a shift to a more interventionist and outcome focussed regulatory regime which aims to ensure the sector can scale up the supply of new homes whilst maintaining quality and stability within the existing social rented stock.

Key themes

• Expectation that social housing remains the core organisational activity with potentially greater scrutiny of diversification and non-social housing activities.
• Increased scrutiny of business planning.  The RSH will be seeking to ensure that financial capacity is channelled into homes delivered and improved with business plans tested against actual delivery, not just financial metrics.
• Renewed emphasis on maximising value from limited resources. Landlords will need to demonstrate improved cost efficiency, better asset management and justify investment decisions around newbuild versus existing stock.
• New emphasis on being able to ‘fail safely’ without risk to tenants’ homes has implications for governance, assurance and oversight arrangements.

Call for evidence closes 30 September 2026

Independent Review to evaluate the impact of consumer regulation

The RSH has appointed an independent research consortium to carry out an evaluation of recent consumer regulation changes.  The evaluation will be carried out by a research consortium comprising RAND Europe, Shared Intelligence and the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research. The project will span more than two years, with the final report expected to be published in 2028.

Other Publications

Renew Interim Report – Unlocking 500,000 good quality homes in the North – Northern Housing Consortium (NHC)

This Northern Housing Consortium report makes the case for housing‑led regeneration to deliver new homes, revitalise communities and deliver economic growth across the North. This is an ambitious project that seeks to re-establish regeneration as a key priority and driver within housing policy.

The report sets out a roadmap for government and the sector, highlighting that without long-term funding and structural reform, large-scale regeneration and the associated expansion in housing supply, will not be achievable.

Key recommendations

• Long-term devolved funding through a 10-year Place Based Regeneration Fund for mayoral authorities to provide the certainty required to unlock complex regeneration schemes.
• Appoint a Minister for Regeneration to co-ordinate activity across government and ensure alignment between housing, planning and growth policies.
• Establish a National Centre for Regeneration to strengthen local delivery capacity, skills and innovation.
• Devolve powers to mayoral and local authorities to lead regeneration and enable place based, locally tailored solutions to housing need.
• Strengthen resident engagement and trust through clear standards and rights for residents involved in regeneration schemes.
• Recognise and address financial viability barriers e.g. low land values and high remediation costs.

Clearing the Decks: Tackling Energy Debt to Lower Bills – June 2026

This policy paper published by National Energy Action sets out the case for expanding Ofgem’s Debt Relief scheme to restore stability, reduce anxiety, improve wellbeing, and enable households to re-engage with their energy use and wider support. Clearing energy debt would also reduce costs for all consumers as debt-related costs currently add around £50 to £70 per year to typical bills. Bringing down overall levels of debt would reduce these costs, delivering ongoing bill savings across households.

Procurement – the price we pay, and the path to improvement (June 2026)

This Housing Forum report sets out how councils and housing associations are paying more than private developers to build new homes due to slow and overly complex procurement processes. This new report argues that reforming procurement practices represents one of the quickest and most practical ways for councils and housing associations to improve delivery and reduce costs within their control.

Diary Dates

Finance and Business Planning Meeting – Thursday 16^th July 2026 (9.30 – 12.00)

Steve Partridge – Savills Director of Housing Consultancy will be leading this event for finance officers and others with an interest in HRA strategy and business planning.

2026 CWAG Annual General Meeting

This year the CWAG Annual General Meeting will be on Thursday 1st October 2026. Further details will be available in due course.

Guide to the Social housing Bill

This sets out the key elements and objectives of the proposed legislation.

Letter from Matthew Pennycook to Sector Leaders

This letter includes details of a government review into the allocation and use of social housing to reduce empty homes, support the better use of existing stock. A key aim is to ensure homes go to those most in need, including strengthening council nomination arrangements and reviewing statutory guidance to better reflect local needs and support vulnerable households.

Homelessness code of guidance for local authorities

MHCLG has published an update to this guidance which now includes an additional clause 8.18 regarding assessment of vulnerability of applicants with a disability or another relevant protected characteristic.

Text of Housing and Planning Minister’s Speech to UKREiiF 2026

MHCLG has published details of Matthew Pennycook’s speech at the UK Real Estate and Infrastructure Forum on 19th May 2026. The speech sets out the government’s housing related achievements so far along with policy objectives and plans going forward.

How Tax reforms would make rent controls feasible to deliver – This report published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation argues that the high level of returns generally available to landlords warrant intervention on rents — both to make rents more affordable for renters, and to curb the excessive returns landlords are currently able to make and the distortive effects they have on the housing market and wider economy.

Finance and Business Planning Meeting – Thursday 16^th July 2026 (9.30 – 12.00)

Steve Partridge – Savills Director of Housing Consultancy will be leading this event for finance officers and others with an interest in HRA strategy and business planning.

The event is a free event that is open to CWAG members.

2026 CWAG Annual General Meeting

This year the CWAG Annual General Meeting will be on Thursday 1st October 2026. Further details will be available in due course.

CWAG Consultation Response – Housing Ombudsman Business Plan 2026/27

The Housing Ombudsman recently consulted on its 2026/27 Business Plan. In our response, CWAG raised a number of concerns relating to the scale and timing of fee increases and impact on the sector. We also raised concerns about the way the fee consultation was conducted and the need to evidence measures to control costs and allow effective scrutiny and feedback in future. The Housing Ombudsman has now published its consultation response which recognises many of the concerns we raised and includes a phased increase in fees which will reduce from  £9.64 per property in 2026 /27 (as against the £10.56 originally proposed).

You can read both the CWAG consultation response and the Housing Ombudsman’s recently published statement below.

Revised Right to Buy Guidance

MHCLG has updated the guidance on the RTB scheme setting out the latest information and good practice on operating the Right to Buy scheme for both councils and tenants. The guidance on retained RTB receipts has also been updated.

Council Tax changes to protect vulnerable households

MHCLG has published the outcome of the consultation Modernising and improving the administration of council tax which includes proposed reforms and a wider package of support for vulnerable households and those facing enforcement action. Under the current system, missing one monthly payment can leave people liable to pay the entire outstanding sum in a single payment just two weeks later. Proposed changes from next year will give households 63 days, roughly two months, to settle their bill.  Councils will also be required to work with affected households on a sustainable repayment plans.

Homes England launches National Housing Bank

Launched on 1st April 2026, the National Housing Bank is a new government public finance institution tasked with accelerating the delivery of new homes and enabling the regeneration across England. The institution is backed by the UK government with access to up to £16 billion loan finance, which will be available for projects with house builders, developers, investors and registered providers.

The bank is a subsidiary of Homes England; with plans to support the delivery of more than 500,000 homes and a raft of major regeneration and mixed-use schemes, alongside unlocking more than £53 billion of private investment over the next ten years.

Housing Ombudsman has published two reports in the ‘learning from severe maladministration series.

One report focusses on the use and importance of apologies as a remedy, highlighting the growing use of apology as part of the resolution of Ombudsman cases, with the service typically ordering around 4000 apologies each year. The report highlights the power of genuine apologies to restore trust between landlords and tenants where things have gone wrong.  Meaningful and empathetic apologies also foster important behavioural and cultural change at little financial cost. The Ombudsman has also published separate apologies guidance setting out what makes a good apology and how best to approach an apology whether in writing or in person. There is also an apologies checklist.

The second report reviews recent casework involving hazards, and the relationship between multiple hazards, that is often a feature in these cases. The report highlights a series of examples involving different HHSRS hazards and the issues involved, as such it is particularly relevant ahead of the introduction of phase 2 of Awaab’s Law later this year. The report calls for a focus on ‘early warning signs’ as well as making good use of void periods to proactively tackle problem issues.

Other Publications

“Supported Housing: The Missing Link in Social Care Reform – A Call to Action” – Cornwall Council 

This report is based on a panel discussion at the National Children and Adult Social Care Conference (NCASC).

The report makes the case that if supported housing is to be sustainable, person centred and preventative, it must be treated as core social infrastructure – not a peripheral housing issue. It calls on Government to place supported housing at the heart of social care reform, with a clear plan for sufficient specialist and supported provision embedded in national housing policy, housing strategies and planning guidance alongside appropriate funding mechanisms that give councils the means and providers the long-term certainty to invest at scale. To live well, people need safe, stable homes with the right support at the right time: “Being stable, warm and supported is 80% of what enables a good life. Good outcomes rely on good housing and accommodation.” Hugh Evans – Executive Director of Adults and Communities, Bristol City Council

Build Up Not Trickle Down – The case for Need-Led Housing Policy – Shelter (February 2026)

Successive governments have pursued trickle down approaches to housing delivery relying on policies to increase the supply of newbuild homes for private sale and rent in the hope that wealthier households buying newly built homes at the top of the market will free up supply lower down the chain for lower income families. This paper argues that housing policy focused on market demand linked to trickle down policies will not address the current housing emergency as it only responds to people who with the resources to buy or rent in an increasingly unaffordable private market. An alternative needs-led housing model that delivers genuinely affordable homes is required. This would address loopholes in the planning system that mean developments too often fail to include social homes and improve the affordability of homes for those in the greatest housing need.