Awaab’s law is set to be introduced in Scotland in a bid to protect the country’s social housing tenants.
The law was named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who died in 2020 after being exposed to mould in his Rochdale home.
The Scottish government has announced that it intends to introduce amendments to the housing (Scotland) bill to broaden ministers’ powers to impose timeframes on social landlords to investigate disrepair and start repairs, through regulation, following engagement with the sector.
The regulations will aim to build on already existing provisions in the bill for strengthening tenants’ rights and Scotland’s existing legal protections for social tenants such as the Scottish Housing Quality Standard and the Right to Repair Scheme.
Commenting on the introduction of the law, Shirley-Anne Somerville, social justice secretary for the Scottish government, said: “Introducing timescales and expectations for repairs aims to make sure this never happens to a child or their family ever again.
“Everyone in Scotland deserves the right to live in a warm, safe and secure home, free from disrepair. We already have a strong set of rights and standards that have been improving in Scotland.
“However, these measures will go even further and give power and confidence to tenants that any issues identified and repairs started in a timely manner, so any issues do not have a detrimental impact on their health.
“Our Housing Bill already contains proposals to improve tenants’ rights, and these measures will strengthen those even further to make sure their home is safe for them and their families.”
