No Access and Awaab's Law: Challenges and practical lessons

This blog is written by Andy Houghton, Consultant at Pennington Choices. Andy brings more than 38 years’ experience in social housing, having started his career in housing before specialising in asset management and investment delivery.
 

If you work in social housing, you probably do not need a report to tell you that gaining access to properties is getting harder.

From missed appointments and doors not opening to growing risks behind those doors, damp, mould, safety hazards, and now a new legal duty under Awaab’s Law that rightly raises expectations around speed and accountability, gaining access to properties is a growing challenge. 

A recent Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) article (18th December 2025), drawing on HQN’s research (‘Opening the door: Changes to support necessary access to social tenants’ homes’ and ‘Preparing for Awaab’s Law: Progress by social housing providers’), puts words around what many housing professionals are already experiencing. More importantly, it offers some grounded, practical lessons from landlords who are starting to make progress.

Start with empathy, not enforcement

One of the clearest messages from the research is that access does not usually fail because tenants are being difficult. It fails because something else is going on: fear, poor mental health, past bad experiences, or simply not trusting the landlord.

Some councils have made real headway by treating access as a relationship issue, not a repair issue. Giving someone ownership of the relationship, taking time to understand what is behind a closed door, and responding proportionately has reduced repeat failures.

That aligns closely with what the Housing Ombudsman keeps telling us: how we treat residents directly affects outcomes. Culture is not a “nice to have” here; it is a safety control.

Access is not just a housing problem 

Another theme that really resonates is that housing teams cannot solve no accesses alone.

Organisations work better when other staff, social workers, support officers, and visiting teams are trained to spot hazards and raise concerns. Every visit becomes a chance to protect someone’s safety, not just deliver a service.

It is the same with contractors. Clear expectations, consistent messages, and shared responsibility matter far more than how many letters go out.

Use tech to make risk visible, not hidden

The research is refreshingly honest about systems. Many landlords are stuck with legacy IT that does not talk to itself, slows decision-making, and hides risk.

The best examples did not always have complex solutions. They were the ones that worked; clear case trackers, dashboards that showed overdue actions, good records with photos, dates, and timelines.

When things go wrong, and sometimes they do, that information protects residents and organisations.

Be confident but human about legal routes

Awaab’s Law has brought legal anxieties with it, especially around no access. The research found that people, even within the same organisation, often disagree about what powers exist and when to use them.

What seems to help is a “talk first” mindset, resolving issues early, responding quickly to disrepair cases, and keeping legal, housing, and repairs teams aligned. Enforcement still has a place, but it works best when it is clear, consistent, and well-evidenced.

Good records are not about covering backs; they are about showing you have genuinely tried to do the right thing.

Clarity matters more than perfection 

One surprising finding was how few landlords have a clear definition of “no access”. If staff, contractors, and residents all understand it differently, it is almost impossible to manage or defend.

The CIH message here is reassuring; do not wait for perfect government guidance. Agree on local definitions, risk thresholds, and decision frameworks now. Write them down. Apply them consistently. Review them as you learn.

Clarity builds confidence, for staff and residents alike.

Make Awaab's Law everyone's business

This is not just a repairs issue or a housing management issue. Anyone who steps into a resident's home should know what to look for and how to escalate it quickly. 

Some organisations are already embedding Awaab’s Law into training, performance reporting, and board oversight. Where leaders stay close to the detail, deadlines stop slipping, and safety feels real, not abstract.

We cannot do this alone

The research does not shy away from the bigger picture. Many landlords feel the responsibilities under Awaab’s Law are growing faster than the tools available to deliver them.

As a sector, we need clearer guidance, workable legal routes for access, investment in ageing homes, and IT systems fit for modern safety regimes. That is not a complaint; it is a reality check.

Awaab's Law is about saving lives; no access is the point where good intentions meet real-world complexity.

This research shows that progress does not come from being tougher; it comes from being clearer, kinder, and more joined-up. And that is something every landlord, whatever their size, can start working on now.

If you are looking for support in understanding your new requirements under Awaab's Law, our team of experts are here to help you navigate your legal obligations with ease.