Agents invited to Decent Homes Standard consultation

Property professionals got their first look at the government’s proposed Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector this month.

The new Decent Homes Standard consultation gives agents a chance to comment on the proposed rules, which would apply to privately and socially rented homes in England only.

Under the government’s proposals:

• Privately rented homes must be free of Category 1 hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System – those that are a serious and immediate risk to health and safety.  

• Key building components (those important to building integrity such as walls, roofs, windows and some types of heating) must all be in a reasonable state of repair. No more than one “other” building component, such as kitchens, bathrooms and heating distribution systems, may be in a state of disrepair.

• Homes must have three out of four of: a kitchen with adequate space and layout; an appropriately located bathroom and WC; adequate external noise insulation; and for blocks of flats only, adequate size and layout of common areas. The government is also consulting on whether to make window restrictors and floor coverings mandatory, and to beef up the home security measures currently included in the Decent Homes Standard.

• Homes must meet relevant energy efficiency standards and have programmable heating.

• Homes must be free of damp and mould.

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A long time until implementation

The consultation will close on 10 September. However, the new Decent Homes Standard isn’t planned to come into force until 2035 or 2037.  

According to the government, the long wait between consultation and implementation is to make space for several other planned reforms coming to the private rented sector. These include the planned rollout of Awaab’s Law in the PRS and the requirement for privately rented homes to achieve a minimum EPC C from 2030.  

It also gives landlords longer to get ready. Most PRS homes should already meet the standards proposed, meaning the pressure is off for their landlords, but the government estimates that only 21% of private rented sector homes are non-decent. It also shares a finding from the Building Research Establishment that almost 1 in 8 PRS properties contains at least one Category 1 hazard – although the research was done in 2019, so standards may have improved since.

Even so, a new Decent Homes Standard could create new costs for landlords, especially if new requirements like window restrictors are included. With EPC C and the Renters’ Rights Bill already putting new burdens on landlords, this could be the last straw for some.

To take part in the Decent Homes Standard consultation, visit the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government website here.