Labour has confirmed that the Decent Homes Standard will be applied to the PRS and has promised to finally seek views on its long-awaited plan.
The government revealed more detail as part of its announcement to drive up living standards for millions of social housing tenants under the new standard, which will be extended to privately rented homes for the first time.
It explains: “Further views will be sought on a new Decent Homes Standard which will modernise the standard, with proposals that hold tenant safety at their core but remain proportionate and affordable for providers to deliver.”
The NRLA says 79% of private rented homes already meet the existing Decent Homes Standard, despite it not being legally binding on the sector.
“We welcome publication of the government’s proposals and will engage positively as they consult on them,” adds chief executive Ben Beadle (pictured).
“Landlords, letting agents, tenants and councils need a clear, coherent and workable set of standards to meet.
“However, setting this standard is only part of the solution. Without effective and properly resourced enforcement by councils, the minority of rogue and criminal landlords will continue to undermine tenants’ confidence and damage the reputation of the wider sector. It is time to find and root out poor practice for good.”
The Decent Homes Standard is a set of criteria introduced in 2000 to ensure social housing in the UK is safe, warm, and functional. An update has been under discussion for years; the last such consultation was in 2022 under Boris Johnson’s government.
Labour first vowed to consult on a new standard for the rented sectors last September and the full consultation is expected to be published imminently on the MHCLG website.
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