A UK housing association repairs officer at a laptop in a cluttered maintenance office, wall-mounted key cabinet and a stack of property folders behind, overcast morning daylight through a window, gre

Civica Cx, Aareon QL or NEC Housing for Awaab's Law Phase 2 repairs deadlines

3 October 2026 12 min read

Awaab's Law Phase 2 comes into force on 30 November 2026, adding seven significant-hazard categories with strict investigation and safety-work completion deadlines for social landlords in England. NEC says its Awaab's Law case management is included, while the supplied Civica and Aareon pages do not establish equivalent inclusion; compare configuration, property-based pricing, deployment and exit terms through written quotations.

Written by Daniel Thomas

None of Civica Cx, Aareon QL or NEC Housing was built solely for Awaab's Law, and switching platform is rarely the fastest route to compliance by 30 November 2026. The real decision is whether your case management, contractor scheduling and audit trail can prove investigations finish within 10 working days and relevant safety work within five working days of the investigation concluding where a significant hazard is identified, and what configuring that costs.

Key pointers

Phase 2 applies from 30 November 2026, with 10 working days to investigate potential significant hazards and five working days from investigation conclusion to complete relevant safety work where a significant hazard is identified; a written summary is due within three working days of conclusion unless all required safety and preventative works are completed within that period, in which case the tenant must still be informed of completion.
NEC Housing lists £1.08 a unit a month on G-Cloud, while Civica's pricing schedule gives a 2026 entry-band starting price of £3,193 a month; no QL rate appears in the supplied Aareon product information.
The pricing attachments explain property-based billing, with Civica's entry band covering 0–2,500 properties and 20 diaries, so get a written, like-for-like quote before comparing headline numbers.
NEC says Awaab's Law case management is included in its platform, but the supplied Civica and Aareon pages do not establish equivalent inclusion or add-on pricing, so an RFP should test both configuration effort and licence scope.
Ask each supplier for its Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) day rate for implementation and data migration; NEC and Civica both publish one alongside their G-Cloud listing.
The "all reasonable endeavours" defence requires evidence of the steps taken to meet the requirements, so audit trail export matters as much as ticketing speed.
Budget for suitable alternative accommodation at the landlord's expense if relevant safety work cannot be completed within its deadline.
Check exit terms now, including Civica's three months' notice and NEC's minimum two months' written notice for non-standard extraction, with NEC's fixed extraction quotation following a one-day scoping study.

Awaab's Law Phase 2 significant-hazard workflow — Deadlines run from investigation conclusion, with a completion notification replacing the written summary if all required safety and preventative works are completed within three working days.

What Awaab's Law Phase 2 Means for a Repairs Team

Phase 1, live since 27 October 2025, covered all emergency hazards and significant damp and mould hazards. Phase 2 folds seven more significant-hazard categories into the same requirements: excess cold, excess heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and explosion risk, electrical hazards, and domestic hygiene (GOV.UK). For a repairs or asset management lead, every report needs to be logged and assessed, however it arrives, but not every reported problem qualifies as significant or emergency. The emergency 24-hour clock starts immediately on awareness; working-day deadlines normally count from the day after the triggering event, rather than waiting for a surveyor to open the job, as the Phase 2 guidance explains.

The duty applies to registered providers in England regardless of size, subject to the tenancy exclusions. For tenancies within scope, a housing association managing 2,000 homes carries the same statutory clock as one managing 20,000, under the Phase 2 guidance. That makes configuration, not raw platform capability, the deciding factor for a mid-sized association choosing between systems it may already own.

NEC frames this directly. Roger Birkinshaw, NEC's Executive Director for Government and Housing, describes case management and Awaab's Law compliance as included in NEC Housing, with requests, inspections, scheduling, communication and audit-ready evidence using a single source of data (NEC Software Solutions). The supplied Civica and Aareon pages describe repairs and housing management capabilities, but do not establish the same Awaab's Law-specific inclusion or configuration.

UK Compliance Mapping

Awaab's Law is a legal duty, not guidance. It was introduced by section 42 of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 and given effect through the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025. Phase 2 also depends on the 2026 amendment regulations, applying from 30 November 2026. The requirements are implied into almost all social housing tenancies let by registered providers in England, with statutory exceptions; licences, long leaseholds and shared ownership are excluded, as set out in the government's Phase 2 guidance. This regime applies to registered providers of social housing, not private landlords. Separately, the government has announced that the new Decent Homes Standard will apply to both social and privately rented homes from 2035 in its policy statement.

A landlord in breach has one statutory defence: showing it used "all reasonable endeavours" to meet the requirements, as explained by RPC Legal. In practice that means being able to produce a timestamped record of when the hazard was reported, when the investigation started and finished, when the tenant was told, and when relevant safety work was completed, alongside steps taken to begin supplementary preventative work. A repairs system that cannot export that trail on demand weakens the defence regardless of how fast the underlying work was actually done.

This is not legal advice; consult your legal counsel.

How the Three Systems Handle a Hazard Report

Use the same workflow to test all three suppliers: a report arrives; staff assess its severity; a job or case receives an owner and the applicable deadlines; a contractor or in-house team is scheduled; the tenant is updated; and the completed work leaves an audit record. This is a demonstration requirement, rather than a verified description of an identical, ready-configured workflow in all three products.

Civica's Cx Contractor Workforce sits on the Cx Housing platform and manages "the lifecycle of responsive, planned, voids and cyclical works" including gas and electrical servicing, with a mobile app for operatives recording work and materials from the field, and management information to track job performance (Civica). The wider Cx platform adds CRM, communications and a customer portal (Civica).

Aareon QL lists Repairs and Maintenance as one of its core modules, alongside CRM and workflow, income management, voids and allocations, and contract and project management, with a hosted deployment, an API and Power BI reporting (Aareon). Aareon's wider portfolio also includes Aidenn Repairs, an AI and video diagnostics and triage tool aimed at improving first-time fix rates, which is relevant to completing safety work within the five-working-day window but is a separate product from QL itself.

NEC Housing is built around a "Golden Thread" of end-to-end information across rents, repairs, assets, risk and customer service (NEC), and its pricing document provides for private cloud or on-premise deployment. NEC states its case management and Awaab's Law compliance are included in the platform (NEC); that does not establish that every customer's configuration is already enabled or ready for Phase 2.

Pricing and Cost Model

Pricing basis: the supplied Digital Marketplace listings and pricing attachments, reviewed for this article as at 30 September 2026. All three are enterprise housing systems and do not publish a single all-in price; the G-Cloud figures cover one listed service line each, not necessarily the whole housing management suite.

Supplier and product	Published rate	Deployment	What to confirm
NEC Housing (NEC Software Solutions UK)	£1.08 a unit a month on the G-Cloud 14 listing; the pricing attachment bases subscriptions on property numbers and sets out property bands	Private cloud or on premise	The applicable property band, service scope and current subscription quotation
Civica Cx Contractor Workforce	£2,899 a licence a month on the G-Cloud 14 listing, representing the entry-band 2024 starting price; the schedule gives £3,193 a month for a 2026 start	Public cloud	Entry band covers 0–2,500 properties and 20 diaries, not one named user; prices exclude VAT, with a four-year minimum and subscription charges from contract formation
Aareon QL (Repairs and Maintenance module)	No rate published in the supplied product information; request a quote	QL Hosted	No public benchmark in the evidence; request cost per property and per named user separately

The attachments provide billing scope, so the issue is matching property bands, included modules and contract terms rather than guessing what a "unit" or "licence" means. Do not multiply NEC's £1.08 headline by 5,000 properties to produce a budget: its property-band schedule does not establish that calculation as the applicable subscription. Obtain a written quotation that reconciles the headline with the service and stock size being procured.

Beyond the headline rate, ask every supplier for the same four cost components: implementation and data migration, user training, integration with your existing asset register or CRM if it sits outside the platform, and support tier. NEC's pricing attachment excludes implementation, configuration, integration and migration from its standard hosting setup charge, with additional activities charged under its SFIA rate card; Civica's schedule includes a separate implementation charge covering a standard scope of project management, configuration consultancy and training.

Civica's G-Cloud listing sets phone support at 9am to 5pm UK time Monday to Friday with 24/7 ticketing. NEC's listing publishes phone availability of 09:00–17:00 UK time Monday to Friday, support response hours of 09:00–17:30 each business day, and online ticket logging 24/7.

Exit costs differ too. Civica requires three months' notice of termination and deletes live data and customer-specific backups afterwards, with an extra charge for individual backup services. NEC specifies deletion no earlier than ten working days after termination or expiry, unless otherwise agreed. For non-standard extraction, NEC requires at least two months' written notice, conducts a one-day scoping study and then provides a fixed SFIA-based quotation for the extraction; a separate scoping-day charge is not stated.

Vendor and Option Comparison

Criterion	Civica Cx	Aareon QL	NEC Housing
Repairs module scope	Cx Contractor Workforce: responsive, planned, voids and cyclical works, gas and electrical servicing, mobile app for operatives	Repairs and Maintenance as a core QL module, alongside CRM, income, voids and contract management	Repairs sits within the Golden Thread alongside rents, assets, risk and customer service
Awaab's Law positioning	Supplied pages do not establish dedicated Awaab's Law inclusion or pricing; sold as a single housing and repairs platform	Supplied pages do not establish dedicated Awaab's Law inclusion or pricing; separate Aidenn Repairs AI triage tool available	Explicit vendor claim of built-in, end-to-end Awaab's Law case management and audit-ready evidence; customer configuration needs checking
Deployment	Public cloud	Hosted (QL Hosted)	Private cloud or on premise
Published G-Cloud price	£2,899 monthly headline is the 2024 entry-band starting price; £3,193 monthly for a 2026 start, covering 0–2,500 properties and 20 diaries, excluding VAT	No rate in the supplied product information	£1.08 a unit a month headline; attachment specifies property-based subscriptions and bands
Support hours (as listed)	Phone 9am to 5pm UK time Mon to Fri, ticketing 24/7	Not confirmed in supplied public sources; ask directly	Phone 09:00–17:00 UK time Mon to Fri; support responses 09:00–17:30 each business day; online ticket logging 24/7
Exit terms	3 months' notice; data and backups deleted after termination; extra charge for individual backup services	Not confirmed in supplied public sources; ask directly	Deletion no earlier than 10 working days after termination, unless otherwise agreed; non-standard extraction needs at least 2 months' written notice, with a fixed extraction quotation following a one-day study

None of the three is a universal winner. If you already run Cx and it covers your full repairs lifecycle, the Awaab's Law question is largely one of configuring triage rules and reporting, not procurement. If you already run NEC Housing, its vendor claims the compliance case management is included; test whether it is configured and working against your own hazard types in a live demo. If you are choosing fresh or reviewing at contract renewal, put the same four questions to all three: which billing band and service scope apply, what the implementation timeline looks like against the 30 November 2026 date, what audit evidence the system exports for the Housing Ombudsman or a court, and what it costs to leave.

Editorial analysis

The clearest signal from the primary sources is that government has treated Phase 2 as a test-and-learn extension of an existing duty, not a new one, and the housing sector's own representative bodies were consulted throughout drafting it. That reduces the risk of Phase 2 requiring a wholesale system change for most associations that already run a modern repairs platform. The bigger practical risk is timing: with the rule live from 30 November 2026, any configuration work, staff training or new triage categories need to be agreed, built and tested well before that date, and vendor implementation slots for housing sector deadlines of this kind tend to fill early. A repairs lead choosing between these three systems is better served asking each supplier for a dated implementation plan against the November deadline than asking which platform is theoretically best.

Sources

Data & Insights

Awaab's Law Phase 2 statutory timescales

Investigation runs from awareness and the other deadlines from investigation conclusion; the written summary is waived if all required safety and preventative works finish within three working days, with completion notification still required, while relevant safety work applies where a significant hazard is identified and preventative work has a qualified extension for starting.

View the data

Awaab's Law Phase 2 statutory timescales
Category	Working days allowed
Investigate potential significant hazard	10
Provide written summary unless completion exception applies	3
Complete relevant safety work where significant hazard identified	5
Begin or take steps to begin preventative work	5

Source: GOV.UK, Awaab's Law Phase 2 guidance for social landlords

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly changes for repairs teams on 30 November 2026?

Seven more significant-hazard categories become subject to the statutory requirements: excess cold, excess heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and explosion risk, electrical hazards and domestic hygiene. Potential significant hazards must be investigated within 10 working days, with a written summary normally due within three working days of investigation conclusion and relevant safety work completed within five working days of that conclusion where a significant hazard is identified. No written summary is required if all required safety and preventative works are completed within the three-working-day period, but the tenant must still be informed of completion. Emergency investigation and relevant safety work retain a 24-hour deadline from awareness, under the government's timetable.

Do we have to change our repairs system to comply?

Not necessarily. Awaab's Law is a duty on the landlord's process and evidence, not a mandate for specific software. If your existing platform, whichever of the three, can log a report, timestamp the investigation and completed safety work, and export that trail, the work is largely configuration and training rather than procurement.

How much will Civica Cx, Aareon QL or NEC Housing actually cost us?

NEC Housing's G-Cloud headline is £1.08 a unit a month, but its attachment specifies property-based subscription bands, so obtain the applicable quotation. Civica Cx Contractor Workforce's £2,899 headline is its entry-band 2024 starting price; the pricing schedule gives £3,193 a month for a 2026 start covering 0–2,500 properties and 20 diaries, excluding VAT, with a four-year minimum and subscription charges from contract formation. No QL rate appears in the supplied Aareon product information. Get a written quote covering licence, implementation, training, integration and exit costs before comparing.

What happens if we miss a Phase 2 deadline?

The landlord must arrange and pay for suitable alternative accommodation if relevant safety work cannot be completed within its statutory deadline; missing an investigation or communication deadline alone does not trigger that requirement. Tenants can use the Housing Ombudsman or the courts to pursue failures to meet the requirements. The statutory defence is showing the landlord used all reasonable endeavours to comply.

Does Phase 2 apply to every housing association regardless of size?

The duty applies to registered providers of social housing in England regardless of stock size, but it covers almost all qualifying social housing tenancies rather than every agreement. Licences, long leaseholds and shared ownership are excluded, as the Phase 2 guidance explains. For tenancies within scope, a smaller association carries the same statutory clock as a large one, making configuration effort and vendor support responsiveness important.

What should we ask suppliers before signing?

Ask which property band, diary allowance and modules the quote covers, and what implementation timeline they can commit to against 30 November 2026. Also ask what evidence the system exports to support the all reasonable endeavours defence, what training is included, and what data extraction and exit costs apply at the end of the contract.

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Phase 2 of Awaab's Law comes into force on 30 November 2026, confirmed by Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook on 13 July 2026, per GOV.UK and the written ministerial statement.
It adds seven significant-hazard categories to the existing emergency and significant damp and mould rules: excess cold, excess heat, falls, structural collapse and falling elements, fire and explosions, electrical hazards, and domestic hygiene including food safety.
Statutory timescales require emergency investigation and relevant safety work within 24 hours of awareness, investigation of potential significant hazards within 10 working days, a written summary within three working days of investigation conclusion unless the exception below applies, and completion of relevant safety work within five working days of that conclusion where a significant hazard is identified; supplementary preventative work must begin, or steps must be taken to begin it, within five working days, with work starting as soon as reasonably practicable and within 12 weeks where that is not possible, then finishing within a reasonable time, under the government guidance. No written summary is required if all required safety and preventative works are completed within three working days of investigation conclusion, but the tenant must still be notified of completion.
If relevant safety work cannot be completed within its deadline, the landlord must arrange and pay for suitable alternative accommodation; missing an investigation or communication deadline alone does not trigger this requirement.
The duty is implied into almost all social housing tenancies let by registered providers in England, with statutory exceptions including licences, long leaseholds and shared ownership.
Phase 3, covering the remaining Housing Health and Safety Rating System hazards excluding overcrowding, is expected in 2027.
NEC Housing's G-Cloud 14 listing displays £1.08 a unit a month, while its pricing attachment bases subscriptions on property numbers and sets out property bands.
Civica Cx Contractor Workforce's £2,899 monthly headline is its entry-band 2024 starting price; its pricing schedule gives £3,193 for a 2026 start, covering 0–2,500 properties and 20 diaries, excluding VAT, with a four-year minimum contract and subscription charges from contract formation.
No public QL price appears in the supplied Aareon product information; repairs and maintenance is one of QL's core business modules alongside CRM, income management and asset management.
Civica Cx deploys on public cloud, Aareon QL is available hosted, and NEC Housing can run on private cloud or on premise.
National Housing Federation chief executive Kate Henderson said housing associations "engaged with the government throughout the development of Awaab's Law" and welcomed the extra preparation time, per GOV.UK.
Tenants can access the Housing Ombudsman if a landlord does not meet the Phase 2 timelines, alongside the existing legal duty.