Compliance
Legislation, case law, regulator expectations and official guidance, categorised and linked to source.
General information, not legal advice. Last checked on 17 October 2026.
Tab 11
Terms compliance teams meet in Awaab's Law and housing safety, and answers to common questions taken from official sources.
A category 1 hazard is a hazard of a prescribed description whose score falls in the prescribed band for category 1. A category 2 hazard is one whose score is below that. Local housing authorities must act on category 1 hazards and have powers for category 2 hazards.
A person that, in the reasonable opinion of the lessor, has the skills and experience necessary to determine whether a social home is affected by a significant hazard or emergency hazard.
A relevant hazard that poses an imminent and significant risk of harm to the health or safety of an occupier of the social home. An imminent and significant risk of harm is a risk that a reasonable lessor with the relevant knowledge would make safe within 24 hours.
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System: a risk based tool, set out in regulation, used to assess health and safety hazards in homes. It currently covers 21 potential hazards.
For an emergency hazard, 24 hours (from the emergency action period or from the end of the investigation); for a significant hazard, 5 working days beginning on the day after the investigation is completed. It decides when the temporary rehousing duty starts.
The Regulations distinguish an emergency investigation (regulation 5), a standard investigation (regulation 6), a renewed investigation including physical inspection (regulation 7) and a further investigation (regulation 8). Each is carried out by a competent investigator.
A relevant matter (a matter or circumstance that is or may be a significant or emergency hazard affecting a social home), or a material change relating to a relevant matter of which the lessor is already aware.
A local authority social landlord: a registered provider that is a local authority. The guidance notes that legislation and standards are sometimes different for local authority registered providers and private registered providers.
In relation to a social home affected by a significant or emergency hazard, to remove the hazard in question.
In the Housing Ombudsman's remedies guidance, maladministration is linked to a failure that adversely affected the resident. Severe maladministration is linked to serious failings by the landlord, a single significant failure or a series of them, with a seriously detrimental impact on the resident.
A report a coroner makes to a person or body with power to act when, in the coroner's opinion, the evidence at an inquest reveals a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken. The recipient must respond within 56 days. Made under paragraph 7 of Schedule 5 to the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and regulations 28 and 29 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013.
In proceedings for breach of the implied covenant, it is a defence for the lessor to prove it used all reasonable endeavours to avoid the breach. GOV.UK describes this as taking all reasonable steps to comply where it was not possible for reasons genuinely beyond the landlord's control.
Regulation 13(4) requires supplementary preventative work to be completed within a reasonable period. The Regulations do not define a reasonable period, and GOV.UK describes the test as completing the work satisfactorily within a reasonable time period.
A social landlord registered with the Regulator of Social Housing. Registered providers may be local authorities or private registered providers of social housing, such as housing associations.
A prescribed hazard that is not an excluded fire hazard, that arises from a deficiency in the home or in a building or land for which the lessor is responsible, and that is not wholly or mainly attributable to the lessee's breach of a covenant or to disrepair the lessor is not obliged to make good.
The knowledge that the lessor of the social home has, or reasonably ought to have, about the health and circumstances of the occupier.
Any required work necessary to make a social home safe that is not cladding work.
Work that is necessary to make the home safe and, so far as is possible, to ensure the hazard does not recur, that the lessor can lawfully undertake, and that is not work for which the lessee is liable or work excluded by regulation 4.
A relevant hazard that poses a significant risk of harm to the health or safety of an occupier of the social home. A significant risk of harm is a risk that a reasonable lessor with the relevant knowledge would make safe within 15 working days (but not within 24 hours).
A dwelling let under a lease to which section 10A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 applies. GOV.UK describes it as social housing, not shared ownership, let by a registered provider.
Includes any premises in such a state as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance.
Required work that is necessary to ensure, so far as is possible, that the hazard does not recur, that is not necessary to make the home safe, and that is not cladding work.
Any day other than a Saturday or Sunday, Christmas Day or Good Friday, or a bank holiday under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 in England and Wales.
It applies to temporary and supported accommodation provided as social housing by a registered provider where the occupier has a tenancy. It does not apply to housing occupied under a licence.
The lessor under a relevant social housing lease, which must be a registered provider of social housing: a local authority or a private registered provider such as a housing association.
When it discovers the issue itself, or is notified by a tenant or anyone acting for them, a third party, a regulator or another body. A report to an employee generally counts as awareness of the landlord.
No. GOV.UK says triage is part of the landlord's initial determination of whether there is a potential significant or emergency hazard and is not a separate step in the timeframes.
When the landlord becomes aware of the issue of concern and has reasonable grounds to believe there is an emergency hazard (Condition 1), or, where an investigation concludes there is an emergency hazard and identifies safety work, when that investigation is completed (Condition 2).
Working days exclude Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day, Good Friday and bank holidays in England and Wales. Most periods begin on the day after the triggering event.
A landlord should not be found in breach for missing timeframes if it can show it used all reasonable endeavours to gain access.
The Regulations do not set an evidence standard. GOV.UK recommends keeping clear records of all engagement, investigations and communications, because a landlord sued for breach must be able to show it used all reasonable endeavours.
No. It is not needed where the investigation identified required work and that work was completed before the end of the 3 working days. It is needed when no hazard was found, or when work is still outstanding.
Whether a significant or emergency hazard was found and what it is, any further action required with a target timescale for beginning and completing it, or that no further action is required and why, and how the tenant can contact the landlord.
The landlord must secure suitable alternative accommodation for the tenant's household, at no cost to them, from the end of the initial remediation period until the appropriate time, unless the tenant refuses an offer.
Work needed to stop the hazard recurring that is not needed to make the home safe. It must begin, or steps must be taken to begin it, within 5 working days, and if that is not reasonably practicable it must begin as soon as reasonably practicable and within 12 weeks.
GOV.UK says it is unacceptable to assume a hazard such as damp and mould is based on a tenant's lifestyle. Cooking, bathing, washing and drying laundry are unlikely to be a breach of the tenancy.
A hazard must arise from a deficiency in a building or land for which the landlord is responsible. Communal areas the landlord is responsible for can be in scope, but fire hazards in parts of a building regulated by the Fire Safety Order are excluded.
No. Awaab's Law does not require an HHSRS assessment, though the HHSRS guidance is useful for landlords. HHSRS assesses a notional vulnerable occupant, whereas Awaab's Law looks at the individual household.
No. GOV.UK says there is no requirement for landlords to obtain medical evidence or be medical experts, and a tenant does not need to provide medical evidence of any health condition.
GOV.UK says court action should not usually get in the way of repairs, and landlords should continue to make every effort to resolve outstanding issues with the tenant. Landlords and tenants should keep engaging on safety work even if proceedings are underway or a complaint is with the Ombudsman.
Not yet. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 gave the government powers to extend it. A consultation is open until 18 December 2026 and no date is confirmed.
In proceedings for breach of the implied covenant it is a defence for the landlord to prove it used all reasonable endeavours to avoid the breach.
General information, not legal advice. Check the primary source before relying on any item, and take advice from a housing lawyer on your own position.