Awaab's Law to force social housing landlords to tackle mould and damp

A law to make it easier for social housing tenants to get mould and damp issues in their homes fixed is coming to Scotland.

The Scottish Government revealed on Tuesday that it intends to follow in the UK’s footsteps and introduce Awaab’s Law amendments to include greater damp and mould protections in social housing.

The law is named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died in 2020 after being exposed to mould in his home in Rochdale.

In the wake of his death, the UK introduced a law to provide greater protections against mould and damp for tenants. Now, the Scottish Government intends to do the same.

Two-year-old Awaab Ishak died of mould exposure. Family handout

The Housing (Scotland) Bill is already making its way through the Scottish Parliament, but on Tuesday Holyrood announced that it would introduce amendments to provide more damp and mould protections for tenants – in line with Awaab’s Law in England and Wales.

If approved, the changes will force social housing landlords to investigate and repair damp and mould issues faster.

“Introducing timescales and expectations for repairs aims to make sure this never happens to a child or their family ever again,” social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said.

Somerville said she believes that everyone in Scotland deserves the right to live in “a warm, safe and secure home, free from disrepair”.

She said Scotland already has a “strong set of rights and standards” and she believes that the new measures will go even further and give “power and confidence” to tenants that issues will be identified and repaired quickly.

“Our Housing Bill already contains proposals to improve tenants’ rights, and these measures will strengthen those even further to make sure their home is safe for them and their families,” Somerville said.

Registered social landlords are already required to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard, which requires housing to be free from rising or penetrating damp, to have satisfactory ventilation and meet minimum energy efficiency standards.

However, the changes would ensure that stricter timescales are imposed.

Just like the social rented sector, the Scottish Government said it is committed to and will consider how to implement Awaab’s Law for private tenants, using existing powers, after engagement with the private rented sector.