The Cost of Delayed Hazard Repairs | Awaab Comply
Delayed investigation of unsafe housing can put residents at risk and create avoidable repair, accommodation and legal costs. For social landlords in England, Awaab’s Law makes a reliable response process essential.
Phase 1 has applied to social housing in England since 27 October 2025. It covers all emergency hazards and damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm. The requirements are triggered by the landlord becoming aware of a potential hazard, including through an inspection or a third party, rather than only by a formal tenant complaint.
Phase 2 comes into force on 30 November 2026. It extends the significant-hazard requirements to further hazards; it does not introduce emergency-hazard duties for the first time. Landlords must continue to meet their existing safety and repairing obligations before that date.
Strict timeframes for action
The emergency and significant-hazard routes are different. These are the main operational deadlines for hazards within scope:
Emergency hazards: investigate and, where an emergency hazard is confirmed, complete relevant safety work as soon as reasonably practicable and within 24 hours of becoming aware.
Potential significant hazards in scope: investigate within 10 working days of becoming aware.
Written findings: give the tenant a written summary within 3 working days of the investigation concluding.
Significant hazards identified: complete relevant safety work within 5 working days of the investigation concluding.
Further prevention: begin, or take steps to begin, supplementary preventative work within 5 working days. If it cannot start then, it must start as soon as reasonably practicable and within 12 weeks, and be completed within a reasonable period. The 12 weeks is not a deadline for completing every repair.
If safety work cannot meet the deadline: secure suitable alternative accommodation at the landlord’s expense and keep the household informed.
These deadlines require clear ownership, competent investigation and a record of when the landlord became aware. A report is one part of the response, alongside safety work and communication.
Costs to comply with the regulations
Not taking the regulations seriously could carry significant costs for the landlord:
Claims and redress: the Awaab’s Law requirements are implied into relevant tenancy agreements. A failure can lead to a breach-of-contract claim, and tenants can also use complaints and Housing Ombudsman routes. This article does not treat separate housing-enforcement penalty regimes as a fixed Awaab’s Law fine tariff.
– Compensation – Tenants can pursue legal action against the landlord for a housing disrepair issue that isn’t resolved, as the landlord is in breach of the tenancy agreement. The landlord may have to cover any costs the tenant has incurred in dealing with the disrepair, and costs to cover health impacts, damage to belongings and general discomfort, stress and inconvenience.
– Legal – There could be legal costs associated with fighting any legal claims, including those of the tenant, if the landlord loses the case.
– Repair costs – If a damp and mould issue is not resolved promptly, or is ignored by the landlord, it can escalate and become a bigger problem. This could develop into a more serious structural defect with the property, meaning the landlord faces much higher repair costs compared to if they had reacted to the damp and mould report promptly.
Accommodation costs: where relevant safety work cannot be completed in time, the landlord must secure suitable alternative accommodation at its expense.
– Time – Dealing with repairs and legal cases takes up considerable time and the landlord may not have the resources to manage this. If they had been proactive with Awaab’s Law compliance, they could have prevented a damp and mould issue from developing.
Reputational damage
Repeated failures can damage residents’ trust, attract scrutiny and make complaints harder to resolve. Clear records and honest communication help demonstrate what action was taken and what remains outstanding.
Support with Awaab’s Law compliance
The practical case for timely action is clear: protect residents, avoid worsening defects and maintain a response that can be explained and evidenced.
From on-site evidence to a report in minutes
Awaab Comply helps inspectors capture findings, measurements and photographs on a phone or tablet during a visit, then generate a downloadable report in minutes. The inspector should review the report promptly. This supports evidence gathering and reduces time spent writing up afterwards; the landlord remains responsible for triage, competent assessment, tenant communication, safety work and meeting the applicable deadlines.
Book a free Awaab Comply demo ↗ or contact our team.
Guidance and review date
Regulatory wording checked on 26 October 2026 against GOV.UK’s Phase 2 guidance for social landlords. Read the guidance alongside the regulations when deciding how the requirements apply to a case.
