Social housing represents 23% of Scotland’s total housing, a much higher proportion than in the rest of the UK. Given how many Scottish residents rely on social housing, it is incredibly important that their homes should be both built and maintained to the highest standards.
Upcoming legislation aims to address this demand: Awaab’s Law is set to come into force in Scotland on the 6th of October 2026, via the Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026. The law honours two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who tragically died in 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould, and the new legislation tracks similar guidance implemented in England in 2025.
It is estimated that compliance with Awaab’s Law and equivalent measures across the UK will cost hundreds of millions of pounds in additional administrative effort alone over the next decade, in addition to the physical repair work required to maintain properties to the regulated standard.
Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices offer registered social landlords and local authorities a powerful new way to proactively monitor the condition of the homes for which they are responsible, and could help to reduce some of the larger costs anticipated by proactively flagging dampness before it becomes a reportable hazard. With regulatory requirements becoming stricter, those local authorities equipped for proactive monitoring and maintenance will find it easier to stay compliant and keep their properties in good condition. But how will this work and what could it look like?
Awaab’s Law
Awaab’s Law gives registered social landlords, local authorities, and private landlords ten working days to investigate properties that have been reported for mould and damp.
The Scottish Housing Regulator compares registered social landlords and local authorities against measures of tenant satisfaction, as well as on the quality and maintenance of the homes they cover. As of August 2026, the Scottish average time-to-fix for non-emergency repairs was 9.1 days, just under the threshold set by the new rulings. How can IoT devices help ensure that registered social landlords and local authorities proactively maintain their properties and minimise both emergency and non-emergency repair times?
IoT Devices for Proactive Home Monitoring
IoT devices are already being used to offer proactive consumer communication across Scotland. By the end of 2025, over 72% of gas and electricity meters across the UK were smart, enabling residents to monitor their own usage.
Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), who are responsible for delivering the electricity, use smart meter data to monitor properties for potential outages and proactively communicate with customers when they detect any issues, such as a power cut during a storm.
Similarly, IoT-enabled environmental monitoring systems can empower registered social landlords, local authorities, and private landlords to take proactive measures for the health of their properties and tenants. Readings such as temperature and humidity can help establish the precursor conditions that could indicate early signs of mould susceptibility. These readings allow a property to be continuously monitored, including identifying early signs of increased dampness.
Risk notifications generated by these connected environmental monitoring systems, which suggest the increased potential for damp and mould to develop, do not, in themselves, mean that a registered social landlord, local authority, or private landlord has been made aware of a current hazard.
This is because a projected risk is not the same as the actual presence of damp and mould within a property. That distinction matters legally, but it should not be read as a reason to wait. Consistent readings from IoT devices that indicate potential or nascent issues should prompt timely investigation and intervention, preventing hazards before they escalate. Such an approach not only supports compliance with Awaab’s Law but also demonstrates a landlord’s strong commitment to maintaining safe, healthy homes for its tenants.
IoT data can take this process one step further for registered social landlords and local authorities, by forecasting exactly when mould and damp are most likely to occur. Through matching current sensor readings against property age, previous repairs, and weather and environmental data, the technology can identify the homes most at risk, prioritise checks on these properties, and schedule preventative work before damp becomes a problem.
The Road Ahead
Awaab’s Law is a valuable starting point for local authorities and registered social landlords to implement IoT-enabled monitoring in their properties for proactive resolution of potential future issues. The development of “smart properties” equipped with IoT devices to monitor their condition can also be connected with other sensors, such as smoke, air quality, and flood sensors, alerting landlords or residents to a wide range of risks.
Published last year, the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework establishes prevention and early intervention as a core principle within health and social care. “Smart” homes can take this concept further by integrating with other non-medical Technology Enabled Care (TEC) sensors, such as remote wellness monitoring, falls detection, and other predictive alert systems, to support citizens in living safely and independently in their own homes for as long as possible.
Pre-set parameters can automatically trigger alerts; for example, if no movement is detected in a room for a defined period, then an automated call could be made to an alarm receiving centre, a local contact, or a mobile responder. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) Spring Survey 2025 found that 89% of directors ranked additional funding and resources for preventative technologies as the most beneficial area for future investment: a clear signal of how vital IoT will become in reshaping social care for Scotland.
Local authorities and registered social landlords can utilise technologies that are already proven in other sectors to transform conditions in Scotland’s social housing. Implementing proactive home monitoring with IoT technology can help local authorities get ahead and make compliance both safer and more efficient for the long term.