Government Opens Decent Homes Standard Consultation 

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched a public consultation on the Decent Homes Standard – and private landlords, leaseholders and tenants are invited to send a response.  

The overarching purpose of the Decent Homes Standard is to prevent poor living conditions for tenants. It was introduced in 2001 and updated in 2006, but at the moment, the Decent Homes Standard is only a requirement for social housing landlords.  

Private landlords are not legally bound by it – though they do have to provide safe, warm and habitable accommodation. The new rules will apply to both. 

According to government figures, the vast majority of private rented homes already meet current decency standards – 79%, in fact. Just 21% of private rented homes fall short.  

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said: “Good landlords have nothing to fear from a Decent Homes Standard…  We welcome publication of the Government’s proposals and will engage positively as they consult on them. Landlords, letting agents, tenants and councils need a clear, coherent and workable set of standards to meet.” 

That said, he adds that council enforcement is also needed to tackle the issue of rogue landlords, who lower the sector’s reputation. 

Under the proposed Decent Homes Standard reforms released by the government in July 2025, rental properties would have to meet 5 criteria. These are comprised of elements already included in the existing Decent Homes Standard, updates, and additions. In summary: 

1. Properties must be free from serious and immediate risks, classed as Category 1 hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). 
2. The property should be in good condition – though following discussion, there may be less emphasis on the age of building components. 
3. Kitchen and bathroom facilities should meet reasonable standard as set out in the proposal, and again, arbitrary replacement ages have been lifted from the proposals. 
4. Rental properties meet minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) and programmable heating should be provided. 
5. Landlords are responsible for ensuring properties are free from damp and mould (this links to Awaab’s Law, which is already on track to come into force). 

The Decent Homes Standard consultation is open for responses until 11.45pm on Wednesday 10^th September 2025. 

Read more on the NRLA website. 

Find full details of the Decent Homes Standard consultation and how to respond on Gov.uk.