Decent Homes Standard

Key facts at a glance

What the Standard Requires

The Decent Homes Standard was introduced for social housing in the early 2000s. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 allows it to be applied to privately rented homes for the first time, and the government's response to its consultation on an updated standard, published in early 2026, confirmed it will be enforceable in the private rented sector from 2035. The updated standard has five core areas:

1. Free from the most serious hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), such as fire, falls, excess cold and electrical hazards.
2. In reasonable repair, including roofs, walls, windows, heating and electrics.
3. Reasonable facilities, such as a kitchen and bathroom in working order and heating that can be controlled.
4. Thermal comfort, aligned with the minimum energy efficiency standards.
5. Free from damp and mould.

Some proposals in the consultation, such as replacing kitchens and bathrooms by a fixed age, were dropped.

How It Differs From Today's Rules

Landlords already have to deal with serious HHSRS hazards, keep the structure and installations in repair, and meet safety rules for gas, electrics and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. The Decent Homes Standard brings these together into a single test with a clearer pass or fail, and adds requirements on facilities and damp. Alongside it, Awaab's Law will set deadlines for responding to hazards once it is extended to private renting.

Why It Matters If You Plan to Sell

• Investor buyers are already asking which properties would fail the standard and what it would cost to fix them, and pricing that in.
• Older properties with dated kitchens, poor heating or recurring damp are most exposed.
• A landlord planning to exit before 2035 can avoid the work altogether, but buyers will still deduct its likely cost.
• A condition survey or a schedule of known defects helps keep price negotiations on facts rather than worst-case assumptions.

A portfolio appraisal can flag the properties likely to attract the biggest deductions.

Official Sources and Further Reading

• GOV.UK: Guide to the Renters' Rights Act
• GOV.UK: Housing Health and Safety Rating System

General information for landlords in England, checked against official sources in October 2026. It is not tax, legal or financial advice: speak to a qualified accountant or solicitor about your own circumstances.