Trade body SELECT and manufacturer Aico have issued a call to Scotland's housing sector to prepare for significant new legal obligations regarding damp and mould. Speaking on the latest Scottish Housing News Podcast (SHNP), both organisations highlighted the implications of the upcoming Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026, commonly known as Awaab's Law.

Due to take effect in October, the legislation will require both private and social landlords to resolve damp and mould issues within strictly defined periods. The law was originally introduced in England following the 2020 death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, which was linked to prolonged mould exposure in his Rochdale home.

Bob Cairney, Director of Technical Services at SELECT, emphasised that meeting these new duties will rely heavily on the installation of ventilation systems, sensors, and gateways.

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He noted: "Competence will be crucial. Electrical contractors are ideally placed to support landlords, but only when work is carried out by properly qualified electricians with the right knowledge, skills and experience."

In response to the evolving regulatory landscape, SELECT is currently updating its assessment and training programmes. These updates will cover environmental sensors and ventilation, as well as broader green technologies such as electric vehicle (EV) charge points, battery storage, and heat pumps.

Gregor Morrison, National Contractor Manager at Aico, observed that many Scottish social landlords have already taken proactive steps. Since 2021, over 115,000 homes across the UK have been connected via Aico technology, involving more than 500,000 devices.

"Even before Awaab's Law was considered for Scotland, many social landlords here were already acting," Mr Morrison said. "Without national funding, they have still outpaced their colleagues in England in adopting sensor technology. But with new statutory duties coming, this is not the time to ease off."

The success of data-driven intervention was highlighted through the example of West Dunbartonshire Council. By using a dedicated damp and mould team alongside real-time humidity, temperature, and CO2 data, the local authority halved its number of high-risk properties within a single year.

Both industry experts concluded that early preparation is essential. They advised landlords to review existing maintenance processes, verify the competence of their contractors, and utilise environmental data to ensure full legal compliance and better tenant engagement.