The second phase of Awaab’s Law — which comes into force in 2026 — marks a significant shift in how social housing providers are expected to communicate with their residents. While the legislation expands the range of risks and hazards subject to regulatory oversight, it also raises expectations around clarity, consistency, and evidence of resident engagement.
Moving forward, compliance will no longer be judged solely on outcomes. Rather, providers must now be able to demonstrate — through clear and auditable records — when concerns over hazards were raised by tenants, what information was shared, and how expectations were managed throughout the investigation process. In this changing legislative landscape, transparent and well-documented communication is not supplementary; it is central to regulatory assurance, organisational credibility, and resident trust.
As scrutiny increases, reactive or ad hoc approaches to communication carry a risk to both social housing providers and their tenants. In this piece, we’ll explore not only what this next phase of Awaab’s Law means for resident communication, but how housing providers can use this moment to foster engagement and reinforce resident trust, all while meeting regulatory expectations.
A new phase: Understanding the expanded scope of this legislation
While the first phase of Awaab’s Law — implemented in 2025 — focused primarily on the hazards presented by damp and mould, this second phase broadens the scope of this legislation, bringing all hazards identified under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) into regulatory focus. This change brings an increased sense of scrutiny to the concerns presented by residents to their housing providers.
As a result, regulatory assessment now extends beyond whether remedial action was taken to clear a hazard to also include how residents were kept informed during the process of investigation. During this second phase, providers are expected to evidence:
- When concerns were first raised.
- What information was received by residents.
- How expectations were set and updated.
- How communication was documented throughout the process of investigating a hazard.
Now, every interaction between housing provider and resident contributes to the compliance record. Consistent and well-recorded engagement is vital for housing providers seeking to demonstrating fairness, accountability, and assurance to their tenants.
Why proactive communication matters in this next phase of Awaab’s Law
When residents raise health or safety concerns, uncertainty is often the greatest source of anxiety. A lack of timely information can quickly erode confidence, drive repeated contact, and escalate issues unnecessarily.
Proactive communication addresses this risk directly. By providing predictable, timely updates, housing providers demonstrate transparency and respect — even when immediate resolution is not possible. This helps residents understand what to expect, reduces frustration, and creates a calmer, more stable engagement experience.
From a regulatory perspective, proactive communication also establishes a clear evidence trail. Documented updates, acknowledgements, and the firm setting of expectations demonstrate that resident voices are heard and managed with consistent care. Communication therefore becomes both a trust‑building mechanism and a safeguard for regulatory compliance.
Designing accessible, confidence‑building reporting routes
In this next phase of Awaab’s Law, residents must be able to raise concerns easily and confidently. Here, accessibility at the first point of contact plays a critical role in setting the tone for the entire engagement journey.
Effective communication strategies prioritise:
- Multiple, accessible channels (such as SMS and telephone options)
- Clear, jargon-free language
- Immediate confirmation that concerns have been received
- Transparent information about an onward course of action
These early interactions establish reassurance while reducing misunderstanding and helping to prevent avoidable escalation. Importantly, they also create the foundations of a reliable audit trail by ensuring resident engagement is captured clearly and consistently from first contact.
Delivering consistent resident assurance at scale
Consistency becomes essential as engagement volumes increase. Manual or fragmented communication approaches make it difficult to provide equitable resident experiences or to demonstrate compliance under scrutiny.
Standardised communication workflows support both outcomes. Housing providers can deliver reassurance while maintaining clear documentation by ensuring residents receive:
- Prompt acknowledgement when concerns are raised
- Clear updates at key progress points
- Visibility of what to expect next
- Confirmation when an issue or hazard has been addressed
Digital engagement tools — which enable structured messaging, offer predictable information flows, and provide reliable records of every interaction — help housing providers to support fairness and transparency among residents while reducing reliance on individual judgement or ad hoc processes.
Closing the loop and reinforcing trust
However, it’s important to note that regulatory assurance does not end with initial engagement. Now, providers are increasingly expected to demonstrate how residents were informed, acknowledged, and listened to throughout the hazard investigation process — including at the conclusion of a raised concern or issue.
Simple follow-up communication — such as confirmation messages or short surveys — allow residents to share whether their concern is resolved and whether the interaction met their expectations. This kind of resident feedback strengthens learning, supports continuous improvement among housing providers, and offers further evidence of genuine engagement between residents and social landlords.
Building long‑term resilience through engagement
More than anything else, this second phase of Awaab’s Law reflects a wider shift in social housing regulation, one that’s geared toward transparency, accountability, and resident influence. In this moment, providers that treat communication as a strategic capability — rather than a reactive task — are better equipped to manage this change.
By embedding clear, consistent, and documented engagement practices, housing providers can reduce risk and foster trust among their residents, offering a sense of reassurance exactly when it matters most.
This is why we’ve created a practical guide to help housing teams navigate the shift in legislation brought forward by Awaab’s Law. This resource provides sector professionals with proven approaches, templates, and examples that help to support clear communication in this time of change.
Download the guide Building trust through resident engagement
