For social landlords, managing housing risk starts with knowing what is happening both inside and outside the homes they manage.
With Phase 2 of Awaab’s Law coming into effect on 30 November 2026, the scope of hazards requiring attention will expand to include excess cold, falls and structural collapse, alongside damp and mould.
A question often not being asked is Do we know enough about the floor and the effect it has on this home?
When asked, the first answer will need to start with what type of floor is it – solid or suspended or a mixture of both? And the difference matters.
While the UK housing sector has long recognised the critical performance gap between solid and cavity walls, it routinely ignores ground floors – despite the fact that the 1 in 3 UK homes built with uninsulated suspended floors face a drastically worse thermal and moisture profile than those with solid concrete ones.
According to BEIS (2020), there are millions of homes with suspended timber floors suitable for insulation, yet underfloor insulation has been a relatively rare measure so far. Many older homes with these floors are affected by draughts through gaps between floorboards.
Suspended floors will influence the condition and thermal performance of a home. And where a floor or sub-floor void has defects or deterioration, it can also become relevant to occupant safety.
That doesn’t mean every suspended floor is hazardous. It means its condition and performance should be understood where there are reasons for concern.
One floor. Three areas to investigate.
Damp and mould
A suspended floor separates the living space from a sub-floor void that can be affected by ground moisture, ventilation and defects.
When investigating damp and mould, the condition of the floor and the environment beneath it can therefore be part of the picture.
Government guidance recognises inadequate insulation and ventilation among deficiencies that can contribute to damp and mould hazards.
Excess cold
An inadequately insulated suspended floor can allow heat to escape from the home into the void below.
The impact varies according to the construction and characteristics of the property, but poor floor insulation can contribute to colder floor surfaces, reduced thermal comfort and increased heating demand.
Excess cold is included within Phase 2 of Awaab’s Law.
Falls and structural condition
The condition of the floor is also a safety issue.
Moisture and timber decay can affect floorboards, joists and other components. Where deterioration becomes severe, it can create a risk of falling through the floor or contribute to structural failure.
Falls and structural collapse are among the significant hazards covered by Phase 2.
The first challenge isn’t necessarily surveying. It’s knowing where to look.
For a landlord managing a large housing stock, surveying every property with a suspended floor may not be practical.
A more targeted approach starts with a simpler question:
Which properties have suspended floors?
Existing property data can help answer it.
Q-Bot’s team analyses publicly available EPC data to help social landlords identify these properties within their stock.
This doesn’t replace a physical survey. It helps landlords know where to start.
Survey before deciding what to do
Once a property has been identified, a survey can establish what is actually happening at floor level.
For example:
- Is the floor insulated?
- Is the sub-floor void adequately ventilated?
- Is there evidence of moisture or timber deterioration?
- Are floorboards or joists showing signs of decay?
- Could the floor be contributing to poor thermal performance?
- Is further investigation required?
The answer could be repair, maintenance, improved ventilation, insulation or no intervention at all.
The important thing is that the decision is based on what the survey finds.
From stock data to targeted action
For social landlords, the opportunity is to move from simply knowing that suspended floors exist to understanding where they are and which properties may warrant closer attention.
Do you know how many suspended-floor properties are in your stock?
You may already have the data to start finding out.
Q-Bot uses publicly available EPC information to help social landlords identify properties recorded as having suspended floors, providing a starting point for a targeted survey programme.
Get in touch with our team for more information.
Sources:
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (2020) Retrofit Floor Insulation – Suspended Timber Floors: Guide to Best Practice. London: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f05d211d3bf7f2be6e0217a/suspended-timber-floors-underfloor-insulation-best-practice.pdf (Accessed: 23 September 2026).