Decent Homes Standard to apply to all private and social landlords by 2035

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Decent Homes Standard to apply to all private and social landlords by 2035

The government has confirmed all private and social landlords will need to meet the Decent Homes Standard (DHS) by 2035.

Generation Rent has accused the government of “dragging their feet” after opting for a 2035 target.

The news comes after the government confirmed all private landlords will need to meet EPC C targets by 2030.

Homes will be classed as non-decent if landlord has not remediated damp and mould

Under the new standard, landlords will need to meet certain criteria, including that homes must be in a reasonable state of repair and provide core facilities and services, including a kitchen with adequate space and layout, an appropriately located bathroom and WC, and adequate protection from external noise.

A government document says homes must also be equipped with child-resistant window restrictors and provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort. This includes ensuring homes meet Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.

Homes will be classed as non-decent if a landlord has not remediated damp and mould. More information on the criteria can be found by clicking here.

All tenants will benefit

Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook says too many tenants are living in poor quality housing, with 21% of homes in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) and 10% of homes in the social rented sector failed to meet the DHS.

He said: “Our new, modernised DHS is designed to meet modern expectations of housing quality. By setting out in plain terms a series of ambitious yet proportionate standards for landlords to adhere to, it will help ensure we continue to drive down rates of non-decency across the country.

“Importantly, our new DHS will apply to both the social rented sector and private rented sector, meaning that all tenants in rented housing will benefit, regardless of who their landlord is.

“This important reform is one of a series of changes this government has made to drive a transformational and lasting change in the safety and quality of our housing stock. Our expectations are clear: no tenant should have to live in unsafe conditions for any amount of time, and social and private landlords should act as quickly as possible to ensure their properties are decent.

“However, we recognise the significant challenges that landlords are facing as a result of the bold and comprehensive regulatory changes we are enacting. We are also acutely aware that we are asking social landlords to balance the competing demands of improving their existing stock and building more desperately needed social and affordable homes. As such, we have decided that all rented properties will be required to meet the new DHS by 2035 at the latest, an implementation timeline that gives social landlords in particular the time and the certainty they need to boost housing supply as well as drive up the quality of the homes they manage.”

Industry reaction to Decent Homes Standard

Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, said on X, formerly Twitter: “It is absurd to let landlords drag their feet for an entire decade, denying renters the most basic standards in our homes.

“It will mean millions of renters, including children, trapped in poor-quality homes with nowhere to turn.”

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), said: “Providing a decent, safe place to live should be the top priority for any landlord. Whilst we will study the detail carefully, we broadly welcome the government’s plans, which provide much-needed clarity for both landlords and tenants about the standards that should be expected of homes to rent.

“That said, all the standards in the world will mean nothing without robust enforcement to back them up. At present, too many councils lack the staff and resources needed to find and root out rogue landlords. Our research also shows many councils are failing to collect civil penalties issued against landlords even where they have been issued.

“It is time to ensure enforcement is properly funded and targeted, so that the cost of action falls on those breaking the rules, not the responsible majority of landlords already doing the right thing.”

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MP raises concern over rent increases from Warm Homes Plan

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MP raises concern over rent increases from Warm Homes Plan

An MP has asked whether the government will prevent landlords from raising rents under the Warm Homes Plan.

In a written question, Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy asked if the government will stop landlords from increasing rents after using grants and loans from the plan to fund energy efficiency measures.

The government has again insisted that landlords will not need to raise rents to meet EPC C targets by 2030 and that the Renters’ Rights Act will help tenants challenge any excessive increases.

Changes do not require landlords to increase rents

Martin McCluskey, Minister for Energy Consumers, said: “The Warm Homes Plan will lift up to one million households out of fuel poverty through public investment and new minimum energy efficiency standards for private landlords and proposed standard for social landlords. These changes do not require landlords to increase rents. Instead, they will help tenants cut their energy bills by delivering more energy-efficient homes.

“There is support available for landlords, financing options, as well as new protections for renters in the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 to challenge above-market rent increases. As now, landlords will still be able to increase rents to market price for their properties and an independent tribunal will make a judgement on this, if needed.”

He adds: “Landlords will have discretion between meeting the heating system standard and the smart readiness standard so that they can choose what is most appropriate for their property.

“We estimate the new private rented sector minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) could lift approximately 415,000 households out of fuel poverty by 2030. A cost cap of £10,000, compared to £15,000, reduces the risk of cost pass-through to tenants whilst still delivering substantial improvements to homes.”

Landlords could face costly upgrades

However, Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, warned landlords could face costly upgrades to meet EPC C targets by 2030.

He said: “In the private rented sector, landlords are being asked to deliver, in many cases, substantial and costly upgrades to reach EPC C by 2030, yet this is being imposed without clear, long-term funding commitments, realistic delivery timescales, or sufficient flexibility for older, complex, and hard-to-treat properties.

“A phased and realistic approach would allow landlords to maintain the Decent Homes Standard, manage costs effectively, and contribute meaningfully to the UK Government’s ambition to achieve net zero by 2050.”

Also, as previously reported by Property118, a government consultation on meeting EPC C targets admits landlords may sell up or increase rents due to EPC rules.

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Renters’ Rights Act depends on council enforcement claims tenant group

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Renters’ Rights Act depends on council enforcement claims tenant group

A tenant group claims the “Renters’ Rights Act will only be as effective as how well it is enforced”, as they claim councils need more enforcement powers.

Speaking to the London Assembly Housing Committee on the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act, the Renters’ Reform Coalition claimed local authorities have not used existing powers to prosecute landlords.

Generation Rent, who also spoke at the committee, claimed Awaab’s law needs to be implemented as soon as possible.

Renters’ Rights Act places several new obligations on councils

Niamh Evans, policy officer at Renters’ Reform Coalition, told the Housing Committee: “The Renters’ Rights Act will only be as effective as how well it is enforced.

“The act does place several new obligations on local authorities to protect renters’ rights and actually take enforcement action, but they currently aren’t able to enforce the existing system of rights that we have.

“For example, in the three-year period to 2024, over a third of councils didn’t prosecute a single landlord. In the last three years, only one landlord in London was prosecuted for an illegal eviction.

“Clearly, we have our work cut out in boosting capacity, and we would like councils to take various opportunities to boost their enforcement, whether that’s through on-the-spot fines and new inspection powers that are enabled by the new act, but also looking at some of the existing frameworks, such as expanding selective licensing.

“40% of London councils do not operate a single selective licensing scheme and this could help boost their capacity and provide a stable source of funding.”

Don’t need duplication of selective licensing

However, the Renters’ Reform Coalition failed to mention that, since December last year, councils have new powers under the Renters’ Rights Act to carry out surprise inspections, including entering premises where tenancy records are kept, and to issue fines running into thousands of pounds.

As previously reported by Property118, Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), also spoke at the committee meeting and pointed out that selective licensing schemes should not be needed under the Renters’ Rights Act.

He said: “The Renters’ Rights Act will deal with licensing. It will create a database for landlords, and every property will be listed on it. If you don’t register your property, you will face a fine. With this system in place, you don’t need the duplication of selective licensing.

“Local authorities have become addicted to this cash, and it’s difficult to replace. The database system will allow for targeted enforcement and give renters the information they need, without the need for double licensing.”

Ten years for the Decent Homes Standard is far too long

Elsewhere during the committee meeting, Generation Rent claimed the implementation date of Awaab’s law for 2027 and the Decent Homes Standard for 2035 is too late.

Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, said: “Ten years for the Decent Homes Standard is far too long and it creates uncertainty about whether there will even be a government committed to delivering it by that point.

“Awaab’s Law is such a simple law built on an awful tragedy. All it does is introduce clear timescales within which landlords must deal with serious hazards.

“There is no reason to wait years just to say these issues need to be addressed within a reasonable period of time, so bringing Awaab’s Law forward, ideally to this year, would be far better.

“As for the Decent Homes Standard, it would only require changes to properties that are not already decent.”

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