Awaab's Law (Scotland)

From October 2026, new legislation (commonly known as Awaab's Law for Scotland) requires social landlords such as ng homes to fix reported damp and mould issues and emergency repairs within specific timeframes. 

Here's what you need to know about the legislation, what it means for ng homes and other Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) in Scotland, and what it means for you, our tenants. 

Changes set out in the legislation

The regulations set out within the Law are a response to the case of toddler Awaan Ishak, who tragic death was caused by prolonged exposure to mould in a social housing flat (in Rochdale) in 2020.

Awaab's Law aims to: 

• Ensure timely action by social landlords to fix health and safety hazrds;
• Protect tenants from the risks of living in unsafe homes;
• Hold landlords accountable through legal and regulatory mechanisms.

In Scotland, the law will be implemented through the Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026, alongside amendments to the Housing (Scotland) Bill. 

What this means for ng homes

The new legislation means that social landlords like us must act quickly  when we are made aware of issues like damp and mould. Each case will be reviewed to assess the severity and potential impact on those living within the home. Some cases may be more serious, triggering certain mandatory actions under the new regulations. 

Under the new legislation, we will follow the process below:

• When you report an issue to us, we will send someone to check out the issue. If an emergency hazard is identified, it will be made safe.
• Any investigations which need to be undertaken will be completed within 10 working days.
• We will also start any required repairs within five (5) working days of completing this investigation. We will advise on next steps where further action is required and provide advice to help you manage the wellbeing of your home. If further work is required, it will begin as soon as possible.
• A summary of our findings (from our investigation) will be shared with you in writing within three (3) working days of the investigation’s completion.

We will be in touch with you throughout the process and provide written summaries of our findings, what's been done and let you know about any additional work which may need to take place. 

We will keep you up to date on any next steps. If repairs or further work is required, we will let you know:

• What we will do, including approximately how long this work should take; and
• When we will be carrying the work out.
• Once repairs begin, they will be completed within a maximum of 20 working days.

We will also provide you with advice to help manage the health and wellbeing of your home. We will continue to monitor the repairs for a period after they are completed to ensure that repairs have been successfully put in place.  

Exceptional Circumstances

There may be occasions where circumstances beyond our control mean that we have to delay work beyond the timescales outlined above. If this happens, we will notify you and confirm the reason as well as a revised timescale for the work. Examples of this include:

• Severe weather or travel barriers that prevent safe or timely access;
• Illness or bereavement;
• Unexpected contractor or supply chain issues;
• We are unable to access a property despite reasonable attempt to do so.

Related information

• Housing (Scotland) Bill (Scottish Parliament)
• The Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations