Decent Homes Standard  explainer guide

The Decent Homes Standard (DHS) is a key government initiative designed to ensure that homes are safe, well-maintained, and comfortable. The standard has historically applied only to the social housing sector, setting clear minimum criteria that social landlords must meet. It covers essential aspects of a home, including its state of repair, the modernity of its facilities, thermal comfort, and freedom from serious health and safety hazards. 

However, the Government is now in the process of extending and updating the DHS to cover the private rented sector as well. This guide will explain the current standard, outline the upcoming changes, and detail what these reforms will mean for both landlords and tenants.

Decent homes standard explainer guide

What is the Decent Homes Standard?

The DHS has existed since 2004 and applies to the social housing sector. Last updated in 2006, it acts as a standard specifying minimum criteria for social landlords to ensure their properties are decent. 

Specifically, the DHS defines the features of a decent rented home as well the basic health and safety requirements. These include effective heating and insulation, the state of repair, and the facilities that should be available. 

It is also structured to give thresholds for landlords to take action to improve their properties over time. It requires them to upgrade their kitchens and bathrooms after a stated period to keep facilities to a modern standard. 

For a dwelling to be considered “decent” under the current DHS, it must:

  1. be free from health and safety hazards at the most dangerous “category 1” level (as assessed using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). 
  2. be in a reasonable state of repair. 
  3. have reasonably modern facilities and services. 
  4. provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.

The current guidance is available here. 

 

What is a decent home?

A decent home meets the following criteria: 

  1. It meets the current statutory minimum standard for housing

Dwellings which fail to meet this criterion are those containing one or more hazards assessed as serious (‘Category 1’) under the HHSRS. 

The HHSRS is a risk assessment procedure and does not set a standard. Introduced by the Housing Act 2004, it is the main way of assessing and enforcing housing standards. It is a tool which is used by environmental health officers to assess the risk of a hazard in residential housing to the health and safety of occupants or visitors. 

Discover more about the HHSRS in our ultimate guide.

A safe home should not have any serious (Category 1) hazards. If one is found, it must be fixed unless the cost or disruption would be unreasonable. Landlords should carefully consider all options to fix the issue, prioritising the wellbeing of the residents. If a hazard cannot be fixed, landlords must make sure the residents are fully informed. 
B. It is in a reasonable state of repair

Dwellings which fail to meet this criterion are those where either:

  • one or more of the key building components are old and, because of their condition,
  • need replacing or major repair; or
  • two or more of the other building components are old and, because of their condition, need replacing or major repair.

A building component is considered to have “failed” only if it's old and needs to be replaced or repaired. Its age alone doesn't mean it has failed. 

Building components are defined as the structural parts of a home, its external features, and internal amenities and services. 

Key building components are those that, if in poor condition, could immediately impact the building's integrity and cause other parts to deteriorate. This includes all external components and internal components that could pose a safety risk. These include:

  • external walls;
  • roof structure and covering;
  • windows/doors;
  • chimneys;
  • central heating boilers;
  • gas fires;
  • storage heaters;
  • plumbing; and electrics. 
C. It has reasonably modern facilities and services

Dwellings which fail to meet this criterion are those which lack 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); and
  • adequate size and layout of common areas for blocks of flats.

A home lacking two or fewer of the above is still classed as decent, therefore it is not necessary to modernise kitchens and bathrooms if a home meets the remaining criteria. 
D. It provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort

This criterion requires dwellings to have both effective insulation and efficient heating. It should be noted that, whilst dwellings meeting criteria B, C and D are likely also to meet criterion A, some Category 1 hazards may remain to be addressed. For example, a dwelling meeting criterion d may still contain a Category 1 damp or cold hazard. 

The revised definition requires a dwelling to have both efficient heating; and effective
insulation. Efficient heating is defined as:

  • any gas or oil programmable central heating; or
  • electric storage heaters; or
  • warm air systems; or
  • underfloor systems; or
  • programmable LPG/solid fuel central heating; or
  • similarly efficient heating systems which are developed in the future. 

How has the Decent Homes Standard changed?

The DHS was originally created by the Government in 2000 to set a minimum quality for social housing. It was updated in 2006 to include the HHSRS from the Housing Act 2004. 

The goal of the DHS was to ensure that people living in social housing, like council houses, had good living conditions. The original deadline for compliance was 2010, but some councils received extensions. For example, the London Borough of Lewisham was given until 2012. The high cost of repairs led some councils to demolish older buildings, such as some blocks of flats and prefab houses. 

  • In November 2020, the Social Housing White Paper included a commitment to review the standard. 
  • This was followed by the 2022 Levelling Up White Paper, which set a target to cut the number of non-decent homes in both the public and private sectors in half by 2030. 
  • The Renters (Reform) Bill, introduced in May 2023, aimed to apply the DHS to the PRS. Although this bill did not pass, the current Labour Government is advancing a similar plan with the Renters' Rights Bill. 

On July 2, the Government began a new consultation on extending the DHS to the PRS. The Government is using data from this report to guide this process. This could lead to major changes for landlords and their properties, so it's important to keep up with the new requirements. 

 

Upcoming changes to the Decent Homes Standard

A consultation on the DHS is currently underway as part of broader rental reforms
. This new standard aims to set minimum housing requirements for tenants in both social and private rented sectors. The consultation period ends on September 10. 

Key proposed changes to the standard include:

  • A greater focus on the condition of a building's components, rather than just their age. 
  • Mandating that landlords provide certain new elements in all homes. 
  • Introducing a new criterion specifically for addressing damp and mould.

Additionally, the government is proposing a Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard for social housing, which would require all social homes to reach an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C by 2030. 

While the new standard is expected to be extended to the PRS, the specific requirements are still being determined. 

There is no direct civil penalty for failing to meet the DHS itself. However, it is closely linked to the HHSRS. If an inspection identifies a serious health and safety risk (a Category 1 Hazard), a landlord can be penalised. They will be given a deadline to complete the necessary repairs. If they fail to do so, the Local Housing Authority can issue a civil penalty. 

When creating a tenancy agreement after the Renters’ Rights Bill has been enforced, you’ll need to know these tips. 

  • Create a common standard for both private and social rented housing that's easy for landlords and tenants to use. 
  • Focus on the actual condition of a home, not just the age of its parts. 
  • Require landlords to provide better quality facilities. 
  • Mandate the installation of window restrictors in homes where windows could pose a falling risk to children. 
  • Gather evidence on new potential measures, such as requiring floor coverings at the start of a tenancy and introducing new minimum standards for home security. 
  • Address widespread issues like damp and mould more effectively. 
  • Introducing best practice guidance to help landlords exceed the minimum standards of the DHS. 
  • Making the DHS an enforceable requirement for private rentals and a regulatory requirement for social housing starting in either 2035 or 2037. 
  • Developing a plan for how enforcing bodies should work with landlords who face challenges in meeting the DHS requirements. 

How will the Decent Homes Standard be enforced?

Local councils already have the authority to find and fix hazards in private rental homes. The new DHS will make it a legal requirement for landlords to ensure their properties meet these standards. 

If a landlord fails to comply, they could face criminal charges and a fine. In severe cases, this could lead to a "banning order offence." There will be special exemptions for listed buildings. 

This new standard will allow councils to take stronger action against landlords who don't follow the rules, while protecting those who do. 

We cover more of this in our blog about what civil penalties property managers should look out for in the Renters’ Rights Bill.

 

Final thoughts

The evolution of the DHS from a measure for social housing to a comprehensive requirement for the entire rental sector shows a commitment to improving housing quality for everyone, not just those in social housing. 

Discover how Fixflo can help you. Get your free quote now! 

 

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