Responding to Awaab’s Law in high-rise homes
Story by
March 17, 2026
Daniel Cheddie, founder and owner of Stronghold®, discusses how social landlords can deliver safety at pace.
When Awaab’s Law came into force in October, it marked a pivotal moment for the social housing sector. The legislation rightly raises the bar for how quickly hazards must be investigated and addressed, requiring landlords to assess reported issues within ten working days and begin repairs on emergency risks within 24 hours.
For housing associations and local authorities managing large, ageing housing stocks, the challenge is not the principle behind the law, everyone agrees that residents deserve safe homes, but the practical reality of delivering urgent repairs at speed.
Understandably, much of the conversation around Awaab’s Law has focused on damp and mould. However, the legislation covers 29 housing hazards, among them risks that demand immediate intervention, including fall hazards.
One scenario that illustrates the pressure landlords now face is a failed or damaged window in a high-rise building. If a high-level window becomes unsafe, particularly where there is a risk of falling from height, it clearly constitutes an emergency hazard. In those circumstances, landlords must investigate and take action to make the situation safe within 24 hours.
In practice, that can be extremely difficult.
Traditional access methods such as scaffolding remain an essential part of the industry’s toolkit, particularly for large-scale refurbishment programmes. But scaffolding also requires planning and installation time. When a repair must be addressed within a single day, that process is just not feasible. The key is ensuring that social landlords have multiple options available to them.
At Stronghold®, our aim has never been to replace established methods but to provide another practical solution when speed is critical. Our internal safety system allows operatives to carry out window repairs entirely from inside the property.
With trained engineers, the system can be assembled by two people in under ten minutes and is fully tool-free and requires no drilling or fixings.
It safely spans openings of up to five metres, supports up to three engineers simultaneously and features secure anchor points that allow unrestricted movement while maintaining full harness protection.
More importantly, it allows urgent work to begin almost immediately. Rather than waiting days for access equipment, teams can quickly secure or repair a dangerous window and remove a potential fall risk for residents.
Awaab’s Law is reshaping expectations around responsiveness in social housing. Meeting those expectations will depend not only on commitment from landlords, but also on giving maintenance teams the practical tools they need to act quickly.
By combining traditional access solutions with faster, more targeted approaches, the sector can ensure that when emergencies arise in high-rise homes, safety doesn’t have to wait.
