The Decent Homes Standard in the Renters’ Rights Act: How to evolve alongside new standards

Originally published: July 2025

As things stand, more than one in five rented homes in the PRS do not meet the current Decent Homes Standard. 

That matters more than ever, because the Government has now confirmed that a new Decent Homes Standard will be extended to the Private Rented Sector (PRS) as part of the Renters’ Rights Act, with full compliance required by 2035.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has called for “a wave of bold action” to ensure all homes are “decent, safe, and warm.”

Meanwhile, Goodlord’s State of the Letting Industry Report found that only 47% of agents and landlords believed the standard would have a positive impact on the sector.

The wheels of change are turning, and higher standards will be crucial to your future success in the PRS. So, whether you’re a letting agent advising your landlords or a landlord yourself, now is the time to get your house in order.

In this blog, you’ll discover the context behind the standard, how you can prepare for its introduction, and answer all the questions you have on the topic.

• What is the Decent Homes Standard?
• How the new Decent Homes Standard fits into the Renters’ Rights Act
• The history of the Decent Homes Standard: 2000-2026
• How many private rented properties meet the Decent Homes Standard?
• Decent Homes Standard: 5 criteria for the new Standard
• How will the Standard be enforced?
• How much will it cost landlords to upgrade their properties?
• Is purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) exempt from the Decent Homes Standard?
• Conclusion

What is the Decent Homes Standard?

The Decent Homes Standard was initially established to set minimum standards for social housing in the United Kingdom, excluding leasehold and shared ownership properties.

However, under the Renters’ Rights Act, a reformed and modernised Decent Homes Standard will now be extended to the PRS, creating a single baseline for both social and private rented homes.

The updated standard sets clear legal expectations for rented homes: they must be free from serious safety hazards, be in a reasonable state of repair, provide adequate core facilities, deliver thermal comfort, and be free from damp and mould.

How the new Decent Homes Standard fits into the Renters’ Rights Act

The extension of the Decent Homes Standard to the Private Rented Sector forms part of Phase 3 of the Renters’ Rights Act rollout.

While the earlier phases focus on tenancy reform and strengthened enforcement powers, Phase 3 introduces the new Decent Homes Standard into the PRS for the first time.

Following consultation in 2025, the government confirmed its intention to bring the updated DHS into force from 2035 (with the possibility of a later date originally consulted on).

While that timeline was debated during consultation, the broad expectation is that landlords should begin work early rather than wait until the deadline looms to spread costs and minimise disruption.

As part of this phased approach, other reforms will be introduced along the way, including:

• A full review and update of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
• The tightening of Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), with EPC C or equivalent expected by 2030, unless exempt.
• The planned extension of Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, introducing enforceable repair timeframes for serious hazards.

The history of the Decent Homes Standard: 2000-2026

The original Decent Homes Standard was introduced by the Government in 2000 and set out the minimum standards required for housing in the social rented sector.

Designed by the Blair government, the policy aimed to ensure that residents in social housing, including council homes and housing association properties, were guaranteed a clear, positive minimum standard of living conditions.

The standard was later updated in 2006 to align with the Housing Act 2004, which introduced the HHSRS. While the HHSRS established the statutory minimum safety benchmark for all housing, the Decent Homes Standard went further, setting broader expectations around repair, facilities and thermal comfort within the social housing sector.

Under the 2006 guidance, a home was considered “decent” if:

• It meets the current statutory minimum standard for housing
• It is in a reasonable state of repair
• It has modern facilities and services
• It provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort

Importantly, the assessment is not based solely on whether something is broken or unsafe. The guidance introduced age-related benchmarks for key amenities. For example, a home may fail the test if it lacks three or more of the following:

• A reasonably modern kitchen (20 years old or less)
• A kitchen with adequate space and layout
• A reasonably modern bathroom (30 years old or less)
• An appropriately located bathroom and WC
• Adequate insulation against external noise (where external noise is a problem)
• Adequate size and layout of common areas for blocks of flats

While the programme's intent was to drive long-term investment in social housing, it has also been criticised for focusing on replacement cycles rather than on condition alone.

The programme’s expected deadline was 2010, though some councils felt they could not meet the target and applied for extensions. The London Borough of Lewisham, for example, was given until 2012 to improve its housing stock.

In November 2020, the government committed to reviewing the standard further in the Social Housing White Paper. This commitment was reinforced in the 2022 Levelling Up White Paper, which outlined a plan to halve the number of non-decent homes (in both the public and private sectors) by 2030.

The Renters (Reform) Bill, introduced by the Conservative Government in May 2023, planned to extend the Decent Homes standard to the PRS. Although this didn’t pass before the 2024 general election, the Labour Government has included the DHS in the Renters' Rights Act, which received Royal Assent in October 2025.

On 28th January 2026, the government published its policy statement confirming that a new Decent Homes Standard will apply across both social and private rented homes. This marks a significant shift in housing policy, formally extending a standard that had applied only to social housing since 2000 into the private rented sector.

How many private rented properties meet the Decent Homes Standard?

Recent data from the English Housing Survey 2024-2025 shows that around 78% of properties in the PRS currently meet the Decent Homes Standard, meaning 22% of private rented homes are classified as non-decent.

In other words, more than one in five PRS properties will require improvement works to meet the current standard, and potentially further upgrades once the new Decent Homes Standard is fully implemented.

The same survey confirms that private renters are more likely to live in poor-quality housing than any other tenure. Private rented homes have the highest proportion of non-decent properties compared to social housing and owner-occupied homes.

The survey also found that private renters are more likely to live in homes with Category 1 hazards or damp-related issues. These figures explain why the government views reform as necessary rather than optional.

You can find a complete list of the hazards here.

Decent Homes Standard checklist: 5 criteria for the new Standard

The new Decent Homes Standard significantly updates the definition of a “decent” rented home. By 2035, properties will need to meet five clear, outcome-focused standards:

1. Be free of Category 1 hazards

Under the new framework, a property will fail if it contains even one Category 1 hazard under the HHSRS.

In layman’s terms, that’s a serious risk that could reasonably lead to medical treatment within the next year if left unresolved. Think severe excess cold, dangerous electrics, structural instability, significant fall risks, carbon monoxide exposure, or serious mould growth.

The HHSRS lists 29 potential hazards and grades them based on both severity and likelihood. Hazards falling within Bands A to C are considered Category 1.

How it compares with current standards

Strictly speaking, this does not introduce a new legal concept. Private landlords are already expected to ensure their properties are free from Category 1 hazards.

What changes here is clarity. The absence of Category 1 hazards is now an explicit gateway requirement for a home to qualify as “decent”. If there's a serious hazard, the property automatically fails the standard. There is no balancing exercise and no grace threshold.

2. Ensure your properties are in a reasonable state of repair

The second criterion decisively moves away from age-based benchmarks. Instead, the focus is squarely on the condition and performance.

Under the new Decent Homes Standard, a property will fail if a key building component is not in a reasonable state of repair. “Key components” include elements that directly affect the integrity of the property, such as the roof, external walls, windows, external doors, kitchen, bathroom, heating systems, and electrics.

Alternatively, a property can fail where two or more “other” building components are in disrepair. These may include chimneys, gutters, handrails, or lifts (where present), elements that may not immediately threaten structural integrity but still affect the overall standard of the home.

How it compares with current standards

Under the earlier framework, certain facilities were judged partly by age. That approach has now been removed. The revised standard is not concerned with how old something is, but whether it is properly maintained and fit for purpose.

In practical terms, this encourages a proactive approach. Landlords who conduct regular inspections and address minor defects early are unlikely to encounter difficulties. Those who rely on fixing issues only once they become serious will need to be more proactive.

3. Have reasonably modern facilities and services

The third criterion goes beyond structural repair and examines whether the property genuinely functions as a home. To meet this criterion, the Government proposes updating the house's core facilities.

The criteria are different for houses and flats. For houses, at least two of the core features must meet the required standard:

• A kitchen with adequate space and layout
• An appropriately located bathroom and WC
• Adequate external noise insulation

Whereas, for flats, at least three are required:

• A kitchen with adequate space and layout
• An appropriately located bathroom and WC
• Adequate external noise insulation
• Adequate size and layout of common entrance areas for blocks of flats

There are also clearer safety expectations. Where a window presents a risk of falling, particularly for children or vulnerable adults, it must have a functioning child-resistant restrictor fitted.

How it compares with current standards

Unlike the previous standard, the new DHS standard no longer judges these spaces by their age. Instead, the emphasis is on usability, layout, and suitability for everyday living.

For most landlords with standard indoor bathrooms and usable kitchens, this is unlikely to require major change. However, properties with cramped layouts, poorly positioned sanitary facilities, or outdated safety features may need review.

4. Provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort

The fourth criterion retains the familiar requirement for thermal comfort, but strengthens it considerably.

The home’s primary heating system must be capable of distributing heat throughout the whole property. In simple terms, tenants should be able to warm the entire home properly, not just one or two rooms, without relying on temporary heaters or makeshift solutions.

Thermal comfort is also now more closely aligned with energy performance reform. By 1 October 2030, privately rented homes are expected to meet the reformed Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), including compliance with the updated EPC framework, unless a valid exemption applies.

How it compares with current standards

Minimum energy standards already apply in the private rented sector, but the new Decent Homes framework integrates those requirements directly into the definition of a “decent” property.

For properties with modern, programmable central heating systems, this is unlikely to represent a major shift. Older configurations, such as partial heating arrangements or room-by-room systems that leave parts of the property without adequate warmth, will require review.

5. Ensure the home is free of damp and mould

This is a new standalone criterion that recognises damp and mould hazards as a specific compliance requirement within the Decent Homes Standard.

Under the revised framework, a property will fail if damp and mould reach certain levels under the HHSRS assessment, including cases that fall short of the most extreme risk categories. In other words, the threshold is not limited to the most extreme cases.

How it compares with current standards

Previously, damp and mould were dealt with indirectly through general housing fitness and HHSRS enforcement. There was no separate Decent Homes criterion dedicated specifically to mould.

This also aligns with the introduction of Awaab’s Law, which is intended to ensure that health-threatening hazards are dealt with within clear timeframes. The expectation is that landlords take an early and proactive approach, responding promptly when issues are reported and addressing underlying causes rather than surface symptoms.

How will the Standard be enforced?

Local councils are already responsible for identifying hazards in private rental properties and taking enforcement action to address them. Under the new Decent Homes Standard, landlords would be legally obliged to ensure their properties comply.

Failure to comply may lead to civil penalties and, in more serious cases, criminal prosecution, including a potential “banning order offence”. There will be limited exemptions, including for certain listed buildings where compliance may not be reasonably practicable.

To support enforcement, the government is increasing the maximum civil penalty that local authorities can impose for non-compliance from £30,000 to £40,000, and giving councils the ability to issue on-the-spot fines of up to £7,000 for serious failures where a landlord has not taken reasonably practicable steps to address the issue.

Generally, this should be viewed as a positive development. Clearer standards and firmer enforcement help level the playing field between landlords who do things properly and those who cut corners. Plus, decent tenants deserve decent homes. The expanded prosecution powers of councils will help keep these tenants safe.

How much will it cost landlords to upgrade their properties?

The most recent English Housing Survey 2023-2024 reports that bringing a non-decent private rented home up to the current Decent Homes Standard costs an average of £10,586, with a median cost of £4,222.

Costs vary widely depending on factors such as property type, location, and the level of repair needed, but these figures provide a useful benchmark for landlords planning upgrades.

Is purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) exempt from the Decent Homes Standard?

Matthew Pennycock, the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, has previously confirmed PBSA properties will be exempt from the assured tenancy system if the landlord agrees to abide by a government-approved code of management practice.

This means that PBSAs will not be subject to the new Decent Homes Standard set out in the Renters' Rights Act. Instead, it will continue to operate under its own government-recognised housing standard through the relevant code of practice.-

However, that exemption is conditional. Providers who fail to comply with the approved code risk losing that status. In those circumstances, the accommodation could fall back within the mainstream private rented framework and be subject to the Decent Homes Standard.

Conclusion

The new Decent Home Standard represents a choice for landlords. Landlords now face a clear choice: invest, professionalise and comply with the standard, or reassess their long-term position in the sector.

The vast majority of landlords are professionals who meet their obligations and provide excellent homes for their tenants. By giving councils increased powers to enforce the Decent Homes Standard, the Government is ensuring that the few bad actors are forced to improve their offering.

Now that the new guidelines are in place, it comes down to implementation and consistent enforcement. The framework exists. The expectations are clear. What matters next is that it is applied fairly and firmly across the board.

Keeping track of your landlords' compliance needs will become increasingly difficult in the new legislative landscape. Goodlord automates key processes to ensure that you don't miss a single beat under the RRA. Learn more here.

This article is intended as a guide only and should not be considered legal advice. For more information, visit parliament.uk.