Over 40,000 damp and mould cases resolved in 2025/26
The Scottish Housing Regulator has published its first report on how landlords are responding to its new damp and mould performance indicators ahead of the implementation of Awaab’s Law in Scotland.
In 2025/26, social landlords resolved more than 40,000 damp and mould cases, taking an average of 26 days to do so. The report noted that condensation-related cases were resolved more quickly than those caused by structural or other issues.
There was no recurrence in 92% of damp and mould cases resolved during the year. Where landlords reopened cases, the regulator reported condensation as the most common cause, accounting for 52% of cases.
The new indicators in the body’s annual return on the charter (ARC) were introduced in April 2025 to measure the effectiveness of how landlords were dealing with cases of damp and mould.
These include the average length of time taken to resolve cases involving the hazard, the percentage of cases resolved during the reporting year that were reopened and the number of open cases at the year end.
Michael Cameron, Scottish Housing Regulator chief executive, said: “This report provides an initial picture of how social landlords are responding to reports of damp and mould.
”It can have a significant impact on tenants and their families, so it is important that landlords respond quickly and effectively when cases are reported.”
He added that the body will be engaging with landlords, tenant and other stakeholders in the coming months as part of a review of the new indicators following the first submission of data.
Awaab’s Law will come into effect in Scotland on 6 October 2026, implemented through the Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026. It will force landlords to adhere to set timelines when a property is reported to have damp and mould.
The regulator’s latest review said landlords have been developing “more detailed policies and procedures, delivering training to staff and investing in housing management systems and software to help strengthen their approach to managing cases of damp and mould and prepare for Awaab’s Law in Scotland”.
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