The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has launched a consultation on the proposed reforms to the Decent Homes Standard.
The Decent Homes Standard (DHS) was introduced in 2001 to improve the quality of social housing in the UK, by setting out the minimum required standards of a socially rented home.
For a home to be decent under the existing requirements, it must be:
- Free from the most serious health and safety risks: This includes issues like dampness, mould, and unsafe electrical or gas installations.
- In a reasonable state of repair: The property should not have parts, important to the safety and structure of the building, which are older than expected and in a poor condition.
- Equipped with reasonably modern facilities and services: The home should be protected from external noise and have suitable space and layout in the kitchen and bathroom facilities.
- Reasonably warm and comfortable: This means the home should be adequately insulated and with a heating system which can heat two or more rooms, with a minimum energy band F.
The proposed changes to the DHS mean that rental homes in both the social and private sector must be:
- In a reasonable state of repair:
o Removal of the age requirement of building parts, meaning only their condition will be taken into consideration.
o Simplifying the way a building parts condition is assessed, to ensure things like windows, roofs, or doors are safe, not badly damaged, and still doing their job properly.
o More building parts will be included in the checks, making sure homes have proper fire safety, safe access, and features that help prevent damp.
- Equipped with reasonably modern facilities and services:
o The age requirement will be removed, focusing on ensuring bathrooms and kitchen have adequate space and layout.
o Additional safety facilities in a home, such as child resistant window restrictors and security locks on windows and doors on any planned replacements.
o A proposal to add floor coverings in each room at the beginning of a tenancy. This may include the floor coverings left by the last resident, if they are in good condition.
- Reasonably warm and comfortable:
o Under separate consultation but will introduce a minimum energy band C and require a heating system capable of heating the entire home
- Introducing a new damp and mould criteria within the standard.
Alongside the DHS consultation, MHCLG are also seeking feedback on their proposals for a Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard which would require all social homes to reach an energy performance certificate of C by 2030, under reformed metrics.
Both consultations are open until 10 September 2025.
You can find out more about the DHS consultation by following this link: A Reformed Decent Homes Standard for Social and Privately Rented Homes Consultation - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government - Citizen Space