Will the Decent Homes Standard improve conditions in private rentals?
- Admin
- Sep 18
- 3 min read
Over a million households in England’s Private Rented Sector live in homes that don’t meet basic health and safety standards[1]. Most landlords and letting agents already provide safe, good-quality homes for their tenants, but poorly maintained properties risk damaging the reputation of the whole sector.
The upcoming Decent Homes Standard (being introduced as part of the Renters’ Rights Bill) aims to change that. Currently only applied to socially rented homes, the Decent Homes Standard will require all private rental properties to meet a minimum legal standard of condition.
This includes the following four criteria:
It meets the current statutory minimum standard for housing
It is in a reasonable state of repair
It has reasonable facilities and services; and
It provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort
The Government recently closed its consultation with the sector on the Decent Homes Standard and this blog seeks to answer: will it work?
Our research suggests that three key issues must be addressed for it to be successful:
Local authorities must be adequately resourced to enforce the Standard
A lack of adequate resources is generally accepted as the key barrier faced by local authorities in enforcing housing quality in the Private Rented Sector (PRS). Cost and demand pressures facing councils are rising faster than funding.
Research by the TDS Charitable Foundation highlights the impact on tenants of inadequate council resources. Tenants told us that when they sought help from their council after their landlord or letting agent failed to address an issue, they often faced long delays and a lack of communication.
In more serious cases, councils failed to carry out inspections despite ongoing and hazardous conditions in the property.
We support other organisations, such as the NRLA, in calling for a full review of the
resources currently available to councils, and what additional support will be needed
to enforce the Decent Homes Standard effectively.
Ring-fenced funding would help to address the “postcode lottery” in how
regulations are applied and ensure renters get the same level of protection
no matter where they live.
Tenants must be confident to report poor housing
It is a misconception that the removal of Section 21 under the Renter’s Rights Bill alone will empower tenants to report poor housing, and thus automatically drive-up standards in the sector.
Most local authorities operate a “reactive” enforcement service that relies on
complaints from tenants. Yet the TDS Charitable Foundation’s Voice of the Tenant
survey shows that when a landlord or letting agent fail to address repair issues, only
18% of tenants raise a complaint with their council or another redress scheme.
While the main barrier to making complaints was fear of retaliatory rent increases
(29%), we also found that 41% of tenants did not know where to turn if their landlord or
letting agent failed to address a problem.
We are therefore calling for a multi-faceted public education campaign to accompany the Royal Assent of the Bill, ensuring that tenants are aware of their new rights and know how to exercise them.
Landlords must be properly informed on their new obligations
In our national Voice of the Landlord survey, two-thirds of landlords reported difficulty keeping up with changes to laws and regulations affecting their rental properties.
Our survey shows that eight in ten landlords have small portfolios of up to four
properties, with a significant proportion (45%) owning only one property. Most of these
landlords (60%) rent out properties alongside other forms of employment.
The Bill, as it currently stands, does not specify how adequate information and education will be provided to ensure that landlords can comply with their new obligations.
We welcome the introduction of the new Private Rented Sector Database as a “one-stop shop” to educate landlords on their legal requirements. However, it will not be operational until well after other key provisions in the Bill are in place.
The Government should clarify where responsibility will lie for
ensuring that landlords are properly informed on their new and changing
requirements.
Council activities should be complemented by a coordinated information and
communication campaign that engages organisations already providing
information to landlords. This may include letting agents, landlord membership
bodies, tenancy deposit schemes and other voluntary organisations.
In conclusion, the Decent Homes Standard has the potential to significantly improve housing quality and the health of private renters. However, consistent enforcement and better tenant and landlord information are key to ensuring its success.
More information
The TDS Charitable Foundation is a charity that aims to raise standards in the private rented sector in England through research and funded projects. To find out more, visit https://www.tdsfoundation.org.uk/
