Awaab's Law applies to Scottish private and social landlords from 6 October 2026 — reported damp and mould must be investigated by a competent person within 10 working days.
What it means for your portfolioDamp · Mould · Condensation · Scotland
Damp or mould reported?The clock is running.
From 6 October 2026, Awaab's Law applies to Scottish private and social landlords: reported damp and mould must be investigated by a competent person within fixed timescales. DAMP SOLVE is the practical outsourced response — we attend, take readings and photographs, issue written findings with a root-cause and remediation recommendation, carry out suitable remediation within our scope and return completion evidence.
Landlords, letting agents and homeowners across Glasgow, Lanarkshire, East Kilbride, Motherwell and the wider Central Belt.
Awaab's Law (Scotland) — from 6 October 2026
investigation completed
By a competent person, after the landlord is notified of or becomes aware of the damp or mould.
written summary issued
After the investigation is completed.
qualifying repair commenced
After the investigation, where a qualifying repair is identified — subject to statutory circumstances beyond the landlord's control.
Landlords & letting agents
Awaab's Law in Scotland: the duties, in plain English
The Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026 — known as Awaab's Law — apply to private and social landlords in Scotland from 6 October 2026. The timescales below are what the regulations require of landlords.
Investigation completed within 10 working days by a competent person, after the landlord is notified of, or becomes aware of, damp or mould in the property.
Written summary of the findings within 3 working days of the investigation being completed.
Qualifying repairs commenced within 5 working days of the investigation, subject to statutory circumstances beyond the landlord's control.
Most portfolios don't fall down on willingness — they fall down on speed and paperwork. A managing agent needs a contractor who can attend quickly and hand back a competent investigation, clear written findings and evidence for the property file. That's the service we're built around.
Primary sources
DAMP SOLVE provides investigation and remediation services. We are not lawyers, we don't give legal advice and we don't issue compliance certification or guarantees. The statutory duties remain the landlord's responsibility, and this page is a plain summary of the regulations, not legal advice. Check the regulations or take your own advice for your specific obligations.
Fast attendance
Booked against your tenant report, with your property reference on every document.
Recorded conditions
Moisture, temperature, relative humidity, dew point and ventilation performance, room by room.
Photographic evidence
Dated photographs of each defect, reading location and affected surface.
Written findings
Plain-English cause, contributing factors, recommended remediation and anything outside our scope.
Quote and works
Priced remediation for the elements we deliver, so repairs can start without a second survey.
Completion evidence
Post-works photographs, product details and commissioning notes for your records.
How it works for agents
From tenant report to completion evidence
One instruction from you, and we handle the whole investigation and remediation — with the documentation coming back at every stage.
- 01
Tenant reports damp or mould
To you or your property manager — the reporting timescales start from notification or awareness.
- 02
You send the case to DAMP SOLVE
One email or portal instruction with the address and tenant contact.
- 03
Competent investigation attended
Readings, thermal imaging, ventilation testing, internal and external inspection.
- 04
Written findings issued
Photographs and readings attached, in plain English, ready for your records.
- 05
Root cause and recommendation
The identified cause, contributing factors and the remediation we recommend.
- 06
Suitable remediation carried out
Within our scope — ventilation, extract, mould treatment and making good. Anything outside it is specified for you.
- 07
Completion evidence returned
Post-works photographs, product details and commissioning notes for the property file.
Agents: get your investigation route in place before the first report lands.
Book an InvestigationSound familiar?
What tenants and homeowners actually report
These are symptoms, not diagnoses. The same black mould in a bedroom corner can come from three completely different causes — and each needs a different fix.
Windows soaking every morning
Water pooling on sills and running down the glass before breakfast.
Black mould that keeps coming back
Cleaned, repainted, and back on the same corner within weeks.
The bathroom never dries out
Still damp hours after a shower, with mould on sealant, ceilings and grout.
Mould in bedrooms and corners
Behind wardrobes, on external wall corners, on curtains, shoes and clothing.
Musty smells you can't shift
That damp smell in a room, cupboard or hallway that never clears.
The extractor isn't coping
Noisy, weak, or not actually connected to anything beyond the ceiling.
How it works
Investigate → Diagnose → Remediate
Investigate
Moisture readings, temperature, humidity and dew point, thermal imaging, ventilation performance, external inspection and photographs throughout.
Diagnose
Written findings in plain English — the actual cause and contributing factors. If it's a leak, cold bridging or a fabric defect, that's what we'll say.
Remediate
We carry out the works we're the right people for, and specify anything outside our scope so the right trade can be instructed.
For homeowners
A straight answer on what's actually causing it
One visit, one clear explanation and a priced way forward. We won't blame your lifestyle and leave, and we won't sell you a chemical damp-proof course you don't need.
- Full internal and external inspection of the affected areas.
- Readings and thermal images that show where the cold and the moisture are.
- Written findings you can act on — or hand to a builder, factor or insurer.
- Remediation carried out by us where it's within our scope.
- No obligation to proceed with any works after the investigation.
Possible remediation
What the fix might be — once we know what we're fixing
We install ventilation systems, and we're straight about their limits. Ventilation manages moisture; it doesn't stop a leak, warm a cold wall or repair failed render. Everything below is specified only where the diagnosis supports it.
Continuous extract (dMEV)
Quiet, low-energy extraction running constantly, boosting with humidity.
Single-room heat recovery
Constant ventilation without dumping heat outside — useful in flats and single problem rooms.
Positive input ventilation (PIV)
Whole-house dilution of moist air, where the property and loft space suit it.
Extract upgrades and re-ducting
Crushed duct, disconnected runs, missing terminals and undersized fans put right.
Moisture source and leak identification
Plumbing, appliance, roof and rainwater defects located before anything is specified.
Mould treatment and making good
Affected surfaces treated and finished once the cause is being dealt with — not instead of it.
Fabric and heating defects referred
Roofing, render, insulation and heating faults identified, specified and handed over.
For tenants
Reported it, and it keeps coming back?
If you rent in Scotland and you have recurring damp, mould or condensation, you can have the cause investigated and documented independently — then share those findings with your landlord or letting agent.
We attend, take moisture, temperature, humidity and dew-point readings, test the ventilation, inspect inside and out, and issue written findings with dated photographs. That gives everyone the same factual starting point instead of an argument about whose fault it is.
We are neutral, not an advocacy service
We report the cause we actually find — condensation, a leak, cold bridging, a fabric or heating defect, or a combination. We don't build cases, handle claims or give legal advice.
Findings you can forward
Plain-English written findings, readings and photographs you can send straight to your landlord, letting agent or factor.
Your landlord or agent can instruct us directly
If they'd rather commission the investigation themselves, point them at this page — we work for landlords and letting agents across Central Scotland.
Remediation where it's within our scope
Ventilation, extract, mould treatment and making good, with anything outside our scope specified for the right trade.
For trades & property professionals
Refer the damp cases you'd rather not diagnose
Builders, plumbers, roofers, bathroom installers, window and insulation firms, factors and surveyors send us the ambiguous ones: mould that came back after the job, damp with no obvious source, or a tenant complaint that needs a competent investigation on record.
You keep the client
We investigate and report on the damp, mould or condensation only. We don't pitch your work back to your customer.
A defensible written finding
Readings, thermal images and photographs, with the cause and contributing factors stated plainly — useful when the cause is being disputed.
Clear scope handover
Where the fix is roofing, render, insulation, plumbing or heating, we specify it and hand it back to you.
Service area
Damp and mould investigation across Central Scotland
Coverage is deliberately focused so we can attend inside your reporting window rather than promising national reach.
We investigate damp, mould and condensation in Glasgow and across Lanarkshire, including Hamilton, East Kilbride, Motherwell, Bellshill, Wishaw, Blantyre, Cambuslang, Rutherglen, Airdrie and Coatbridge. We also cover Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire — Paisley, Renfrew, Barrhead, Newton Mearns and Giffnock — along with Ayrshire, Falkirk, Grangemouth, Stirling and the surrounding Central Belt.
Most of the housing stock we attend is exactly what Scotland is built from: sandstone and pre-war tenement flats, post-war council-built semis and terraces, ex-local-authority blocks, and airtight new builds where the ventilation was never commissioned properly. Each of those fails in a different way, which is why the investigation comes before the fix. If your postcode is nearby but not listed, ask and we'll give you a straight answer.
- Glasgow
- Lanarkshire
- East Kilbride
- Motherwell
- Hamilton
- Renfrewshire
- East Renfrewshire
- Ayrshire
- Falkirk
- Stirling
Common questions
Damp, mould and Awaab's Law (Scotland), answered
Short, factual answers to what landlords, agents, homeowners and tenants ask us most.
What is Awaab's Law in Scotland?
Awaab's Law in Scotland is the Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026, which apply to private and social landlords from 6 October 2026. Where damp or mould is reported, the landlord must have an investigation completed by a competent person within 10 working days of notification or awareness, provide a written summary of the findings within 3 working days of the investigation, and, where a qualifying repair is identified, commence that repair within 5 working days of the investigation, subject to statutory circumstances beyond the landlord's control.
Who does Awaab's Law apply to in Scotland?
Both private and social landlords in Scotland. It is not limited to social housing. DAMP SOLVE provides the investigation and remediation service; the statutory duties themselves remain with the landlord.
What does a DAMP SOLVE damp and mould investigation include?
An internal and external inspection of the affected areas, moisture readings, temperature, relative humidity and dew-point assessment, thermal imaging, extractor and ventilation performance testing, and dated photographs. You receive written findings in plain English setting out the identified cause, contributing factors and the recommended remediation.
Is black mould always caused by condensation?
No. Recurring black mould is commonly condensation-related, but it can also be caused by a plumbing or roof leak, penetrating damp, cold bridging, missing or bridged insulation, or inadequate heating. DAMP SOLVE diagnoses the actual cause rather than assuming condensation or rising damp.
Does ventilation fix every damp problem?
No. Ventilation such as dMEV continuous extract, PIV or single-room heat recovery manages moisture in the air. It does not stop a leak, warm a cold wall or repair failed render. Ventilation is specified only where the diagnosis supports it.
Can a tenant arrange a damp and mould investigation?
Yes. A tenant can commission an independent investigation and share the written findings, photographs and readings with their landlord or letting agent. DAMP SOLVE is a neutral diagnostic and remediation service — we report what we find, and we do not act as a tenant advocacy or claims service.
Where does DAMP SOLVE operate?
Across Central Scotland: Glasgow, Lanarkshire, East Kilbride, Motherwell, Hamilton, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, Falkirk and Stirling.
Does DAMP SOLVE certify Awaab's Law compliance?
No. DAMP SOLVE provides investigation, documented findings and remediation. We are not lawyers, we do not give legal advice, and we do not issue compliance certification or guarantees.
Book an investigation
Book a damp & mould investigation
Landlords, letting agents, homeowners and tenants use the same short form. Three steps, about two minutes.
- · Tell us whether you're a homeowner, tenant, landlord or agent
- · We reply with available investigation slots
- · Written findings and photographs with every investigation
- · No obligation to proceed with works
Prefer to speak to someone?
- Phone
- 0141 489 0808