Mould Remediation Goes Digital: UKAME Launches Online Membership Platform with Industry-First Verification Badges and AI-Powered Compliance Tools

As Awaab's Law forces landlords to act on damp and mould within days, UKAME launches the mould industry's first fully digital membership platform — featuring verifiable digital badges for trained technicians, an AI tool built on international remediation standards, and ready-to-use health and safety documentation. The platform gives housing providers a way to instantly verify that the specialist at their door is actually qualified to be there.

The UK Academy of Mould Experts (UKAME) has launched a first-of-its-kind digital membership platform for the mould remediation industry, introducing technology-driven tools designed to professionalise a sector under intense regulatory and public scrutiny.

At its core is a problem that has dogged the industry for years: when a housing association, landlord, or homeowner hires a mould remediation specialist, there has been no quick, reliable way to check whether that person is genuinely trained and competent. With Awaab's Law now compelling social landlords to remediate damp and mould within strict timeframes — and the Renters' Rights Bill set to extend similar obligations to the private sector — the demand for qualified specialists has surged. But so has the number of untrained operators entering the market.

"The biggest question housing providers ask us is: 'How do I know this contractor is actually qualified?' Until now, there hasn't been a good answer. A PDF certificate in someone's email is easy to fake and impossible to verify at speed. We've built something that solves that problem instantly."

— Tom, Founder, UKAME

Digital verification badges: a first for the industry

The centrepiece of the UKAME platform is a verifiable digital badge system for trained mould remediation technicians. Each badge is linked to the individual's training record and membership status, and can be checked in real time by anyone — a housing association procurement officer, a landlord, or a member of the public. If a technician's training has lapsed or their membership is inactive, the badge reflects that immediately.

This addresses a critical gap in the current market. While other training bodies issue certificates, those certificates are static documents with no live verification. UKAME's digital badge is dynamic: it confirms not just that someone was trained at some point in the past, but that they are currently a member in good standing with up-to-date qualifications. For housing providers operating under the tight deadlines of Awaab's Law, this instant verification removes a significant layer of risk from their contractor selection process.

AI-powered compliance tool built on international standards

The platform also features an AI-powered tool that allows members to query technical questions drawn from the IICRC S520 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation — the globally recognised benchmark for the sector. The tool provides practitioners with on-demand access to guidance on containment procedures, PPE requirements, spore behaviour, moisture mapping protocols, and remediation methodology, grounded in the science rather than guesswork.

For an industry where there are currently no UK-specific mould remediation guidelines or acceptable exposure limits, this represents a significant step forward. Practitioners working on site can access authoritative, standards-based answers in seconds — whether they need to confirm a containment protocol mid-job or check the correct approach for a category of water damage they haven't encountered before.

"There are no UK-specific standards for mould remediation. The IICRC S520 is the closest thing the global industry has to a rulebook, but it's a dense technical document that most practitioners don't have to hand. Our AI tool puts that knowledge in every member's pocket. It doesn't replace training — it reinforces it, every day on site."

— Tom, Founder, UKAME

Health and safety resources that close the compliance gap

Beyond training and verification, the platform equips members with practical health and safety documentation including RAMS (Risk Assessment and Method Statements) templates, COSHH assessment guidance, and other compliance resources specifically tailored to mould remediation work. Mould species appear on the HSE's Approved List of Biological Agents as Hazard Group 2 human pathogens, meaning remediation work carries genuine health risks that require proper documentation and controls — yet many operators in the market currently work without adequate RAMS in place.

For corporate members operating remediation teams, the platform provides a centralised way to manage training records, ensure team members maintain current qualifications, and access the documentation needed to demonstrate compliance to housing providers and insurers.

Why now: the regulatory moment

The platform launches during a period of unprecedented regulatory change for the UK housing sector. Awaab's Law, which came into force in October 2025, requires social landlords to investigate damp and mould hazards within 10 working days and complete remediation within five. The legislation was introduced following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from prolonged mould exposure in his Rochdale home. Phase two of the law in 2026 will expand to cover additional hazards, and the Renters' Rights Bill will extend equivalent protections to private tenants.

The scale of the challenge is vast. Government data suggests up to 6.5 million UK households are affected by damp and mould. A 2025 Health Equals survey found that 28% of people across the UK report living in homes with damp, mould, or cold. The Housing Ombudsman received over 16,000 complaints about damp and mould between 2019 and 2024, with the issue now representing half of all casework. For housing providers facing this volume of demand, having a digital tool to instantly verify contractor competence is not a luxury — it is rapidly becoming a necessity.

"We're not just offering a membership card. We're giving the industry digital infrastructure it's never had — live verification, AI-powered standards guidance, and the health and safety documentation that should be non-negotiable for anyone working with Hazard Group 2 biological agents. Every other serious trade has moved in this direction. It's time mould remediation caught up."

— Tom, Founder, UKAME

What the membership includes

UKAME membership is available in two tiers. Individual Membership is designed for sole practitioners and employed technicians, and provides access to the digital badge, AI compliance tool, RAMS templates and health and safety resources, discounted CPD training rates (including 50% off refresher courses), and listing in the UKAME professional directory. Corporate Membership, aimed at companies with remediation teams, adds 25% off all training across the team, centralised training record management, and enhanced directory visibility. Both tiers include quarterly member communications with regulatory updates and industry guidance.

Membership is open now at mouldexperts.org.uk.