As the industry responds to an evolving regulatory landscape, the Building Services Research and Intelligence Association (BSRIA) has launched BG 90/2026 Dealing with Mould in Social Housing, a comprehensive technical guide designed to support social housing providers, private landlords and construction professionals in managing and eliminating damp and mould.
The publication, developed in collaboration with the UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings (UKCMB), comes at a critical time for the sector as it adapts to the introduction of Awaab’s Law and the Government’s Warm Homes Plan, both of which place greater emphasis on housing quality, energy efficiency and resident health.
The guide addresses the complex interplay of technical, social and economic factors that contribute to condensation, damp and mould in homes. It highlights the importance of addressing moisture risk alongside insulation and fabric improvements using evidence-based strategies to help providers meet heightened regulatory expectations while safeguarding tenant health and reducing long-term maintenance costs.
Authored by leading experts from BSRIA, UCL and UKCMB, including Sorcha Redmond, Dr Yasemin Aktas, and Peter Rickaby, BG 90/2026 is grounded in robust research and informed by real-world experience from across the social housing sector.
A multi-disciplinary approach
A core principle throughout the guide is “no insulation without ventilation”, highlighting the need to carefully balance energy efficiency improvements with effective moisture management to avoid unintended consequences.
It examines the “Typical Chain of Causation” linking poor building fabric performance and fuel poverty to inadequate ventilation and mould growth by emphasising that mould is rarely an isolated issue, but a visible symptom of broader systemic problems including underheating, over-occupancy and insufficient maintenance.
BG 90/2026 sets out a comprehensive handling protocol for homes affected by condensation, damp and mould, providing practical advice from initial assessment through to root cause diagnosis, targeted interventions and long-term monitoring. It also introduces cutting-edge approaches such as humidity tracking using IoT sensors and stock-level risk assessment using housing data, supporting a shift from reactive maintenance to proactive, data-driven management.
Real-world solutions
The guide includes detailed case studies demonstrating how coordinated, evidence-led approaches can deliver practical results. These include an Islington Council initiative that used cross-agency data-sharing to link housing teams with social care records, helping the team to identify and prioritise vulnerable households, and Peabody’s Thamesmead strategy, which combined stock-level data analysis with tiered intervention models to reduce moisture risks while maintaining tenant comfort and controlling costs.
David Bleicher, Publications Manager at BSRIA, said: “This guide marks a fundamental shift away from reactive maintenance to proactive diagnosis. It simplifies the complex interplay between building characteristics, occupant behaviour, and social factors such as fuel poverty. Most importantly, it provides a clear handling protocol that supports timely investigation of damp and mould hazards, within the statutory 10-day timeline required by Awaab’s Law, to improve health outcomes for residents and address inequalities within our communities.”
Tom Garrigan, Executive Director at BSRIA, said: “Our research shows that intermittent ventilation is often insufficient for higher-risk homes. Continuous, demand-controlled ventilation systems are essential for reliable moisture control, especially as homes become more airtight through retrofit measures. At present, Energy Performance Certificates are primarily designed to assess energy efficiency and do not adequately reflect ventilation performance or moisture risk — an issue that is being increasingly flagged in discussions around the Warm Homes Plan.”
“This guide provides practical advice to help providers implement building upgrades based on proper diagnostics rather than EPC-based assumptions. By integrating IoT monitoring and stock data analysis, housing providers can move from guessing to knowing, enabling predictive maintenance that delivers benefits for both residents and building stock. With support from our sponsor Testo, the guide aims to ensure that technical precision is at the heart of tackling the UK’s damp and mould crisis.”
Accessible to students and social housing providers
The guide is available to download from the BSRIA website. Social housing providers and students can access the guide free of charge by logging in with a verified email address.
For further information and to access BG 90/2026 Dealing with Mould in Social Housing, please visit here.
