More than one in five private rented homes in England would be illegal to rent once proposed changes to the Decent Homes Standard take effect.
Inventory Base has analysed government data and found that 15% of all homes fall below the required standard. However, this rises to 21% of properties in the PRS - equivalent to an estimated 1.027 million homes - which it believes will prompt more landlord sell-offs.
The minimum standard of housing conditions currently covers those living in social housing such as council houses and homes provided by housing associations, but the Bill contains a mechanism that will extend this to the private rented sector.
In its ongoing consultation the government proposes that any changes will need to be implemented by either 2035 or 2037. The long lead time aims to give private sector landlords time to ensure their housing meets the standard, which also includes new minimum energy efficiency standards that are set to be introduced to all tenancies by 2030.
Sián Hemming-Metcalfe (pictured), operations director at Inventory Base, says should the Bill pass into law with the proposed Decent Homes Standard reforms intact, more than one in five private rented homes will require upgrading in order to be legally let to tenants.
"This would be a massive, time-intensive, and costly task for the nation’s landlords, especially without a clear support structure. “The likely outcome? Widespread non-compliance or accelerated landlord sell-offs,” she predicts.
“Agents and landlords need clarity now. They must assess where they stand, what actions will be required by 2035 or 2037, and how tools like property inspections can close the gap between today’s standards and tomorrow’s expectations.
"The delay legitimises inaction and leaves millions of tenants stuck in substandard homes for another decade.”
An update of the standard has been under discussion for years; the last such consultation was in 2022 under Boris Johnson’s government.
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