On 21 December 2020, a 2-year-old boy named Awaab Ishak tragically passed away due to respiratory complications caused by mould exposure. As a young child, he was particularly vulnerable to the health impacts of damp and mould.
This tragedy and the revelations that followed highlighted serious failings by his housing provider, including an inappropriate focus on the family’s “daily activities,” a failure to treat the mould, and a lack of ventilation in the property.
Thanks to campaigning by Awaab’s parents, Shelter, and others, ‘Awaab’s Law’ will come into effect in England & Wales from 27 October 2025. It sets strict timescales for social landlords to address reported health hazards. The Scottish Government is also amending the Housing (Scotland) Bill, due in early 2026, to place a duty on registered social landlords (RSLs) to ensure tenants’ homes are safe and healthy.
We are seeing companies which produce technical, and monitoring solutions begin to fiercely market their products in light of this news, and there is no doubt that this legislation will lead to extra costs for RSLs. The recent inclusion of damp and mould indicators in the Scottish Housing Regulator’s Annual Return on the Charter also means that RSLs now need to ensure that their record-keeping processes for repairs are fit for purpose.
As RSLs prepare for these changes, it is vital to challenge outdated ideas that blame tenants’ ‘lifestyles’ for damp and mould.
Why blaming ‘lifestyle’ is harmful
It is important to remind ourselves why there has been an effort in the housing sector in recent years to phase out this language. ‘Lifestyle’ has too often been used in discussions on damp and mould as a shorthand for the way that some communities, particularly BPOC and refugee communities, are perceived to be using their homes. This is not new; the roots of these attitudes can be seen in historical examples of racist practices in the UK housing sector during the 20th century. Some local authorities as policy allocated black and South Asian tenants lower quality homes due to prejudice around ‘housekeeping standards’.
Awaab Ishak’s case shows the devastating consequences of this attitude. The Housing Ombudsman found a “culture of ‘othering’” within his family’s landlord, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, and staff assumptions about his family’s cooking and bathing practices, despite no evidence supporting these claims. Investigations instead revealed leaks, no mechanical ventilation, and other property issues.
This year we have seen far-right leaders stoking hatred across the UK, with myths around housing often used in their racist rhetoric. We must challenge any implication that some communities and their ‘lifestyles’ are to blame for damp and mould; this response has already been found to be dangerous and ineffective. If these attitudes go unchallenged within RSLs, this increases the risk of another tragedy similar to the fate of Awaab Ishak; this is simply unacceptable.
The real causes of damp and mould
Blaming tenants’ behaviours does not solve damp and mould. The ‘Putting Safety First’ guidance, published by the Chartered Institute of Housing, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, Scottish Housing Regulator, and Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers, emphasises this point. Focusing on tenants’ activities can make residents reluctant to report problems and overlooks structural issues.
Poverty and fuel costs
- 61% of households in Scottish social tenancies are in fuel poverty.
- 32% face extreme fuel poverty, spending over 20% of income on heating.
Keeping a home at 18–21°C is recommended to prevent mould, but many families cannot afford this. As a result, tenants may avoid opening windows in winter, even when advised to do so, worsening damp and mould.
Overcrowding
- Only 54% of households meet the bedroom standard.
- 4% live in overcrowded conditions.
More people in a home increases moisture, which can exacerbate condensation. Overcrowding is even more severe in temporary accommodation, where higher levels are permitted. Families often limit use of damp rooms – a phenomenon called spatial shrinkage – which can worsen living conditions.
Shelter Scotland clients living in these conditions have reported being blamed for their repeat issues with damp and mould, with landlords noting items pushed up against walls blocking air flow. While this can be a cause of condensation mould, in an overcrowded family home it can be difficult to avoid. With unaffordable rents in the private sector and a critical lack of large family homes for social rent, especially in our big cities, many families in poverty face a wait of several years for a suitably sized home.
There are no figures available for overcrowding in temp, but it is important to bear in mind that a higher level of overcrowding is permitted in this type of accommodation. We know from our work that too many of the 10,180 children in temporary accommodation in Scotland are facing overcrowding, and that these households are facing much longer waits for their permanent home. For 64% of homeless families accessing temp, their accommodation is owned by an RSL. Our In Their Own Words research published earlier this year showed that many don’t know who to report repairs to due to confusion and disagreements over who is responsible.
There are so many other factors that can contribute to the development of damp and mould issues, that don’t even relate to tenant’s incomes. The most common property type in our cities in tenement flats, which often provide limited to no options for drying clothes outside. New build and retrofitted properties have become more airtight for energy efficiency, but it is clear that this has made managing condensation more difficult for residents as there are less opportunities for natural ventilation. Tenants in high rise properties with internal bathrooms, without a window, are often reliant on shared mechanical ventilation systems which are aging and difficult to repair.
In cases such as the above, RSLs will often look to creative technical solutions such as Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) systems. Sadly, fuel poverty can also impact the effectiveness of these solutions; tenants cannot always afford to keep these systems running for the amount of time required to manage condensation adequately.
Moving forward
As the Scottish Government seeks views ahead of implementing Awaab’s Law, it is time for us to leave the language of ‘lifestyle’ in the past. Damp and mould can be a complicated issue to resolve, and sweeping statements blaming RSLs or tenants for the problem is not going to fix it. The ‘Putting Safety First’ briefing can be seen as a road map for a way forward which would benefit both parties; it contains positive case studies with examples of creative and collaborative practice, and we have seen similar efforts from RSLs through our own work. We need action to address the structural issues that are driving poverty in Scotland so that everyone has a suitable, safe and warm place to call home.
References
What’s causing structural racism in housing? (2021)
Housing Ombudsman Special Report on Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (2023)
Putting Safety First: a briefing note on damp and mould for social housing practitioners (2023)
Scottish House Condition Survey: 2023 (2025)
Homelessness in Scotland: 2024-25 (2025)
In Their Own Words: Children’s Experiences in Temporary Accommodation (2025)