The Decent Homes Standard currently sets minimum standards for the condition of social homes in England however a revised Decent Homes Standard will be extended to the private rented sector as part of the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act.
Following its consultation on reforming the Decent Homes Standard, the government published its response on 28 January 2026 confirming the detail of the new Decent Homes Standard (DHS). What does this mean in practice?
Clear Standards
The new DHS sets out clear criteria for what a “decent” rented home must be; from basic safety and repair to essential facilities, thermal comfort, and freedom from damp and mould. It moves beyond the existing framework (last updated in 2006) to reflect modern expectations of housing quality.
The June 2006 guidance explains that for social housing to be officially ‘decent’, it must:
- Meet the current statutory minimum standard for housing
- Be in a reasonable state of repair
- Have reasonably modern facilities and services, and
- Provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort
Part 3 of the Renters’ Rights Act amends the Housing Act 2004 to include a mechanism for applying the Decent Homes Standard to “qualifying residential premises”, including HMOs, in the private rented sector.
Core Criteria
Under the New Decent Homes Standard, homes:
- Must be free of the most serious hazards. Homes must be free of health and safety hazards at the most dangerous category 1 level which will be assessed using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). The HHSRS has been reviewed and recommendations will be implemented in due course.
- Must be in a reasonable state of repair. A home will fail these criteria if one or more key building components such as wall structures, roofs, external doors, windows and heating systems, are not in a reasonable state of repair, or two or more other building components are not in a reasonable state of repair.
- Must provide core facilities and services. The core facilities differ depending on whether the property is a flat or a house but include whether there is a kitchen with adequate space and layout and if there is an appropriately located bathroom and toilet.
- Must offer a reasonable degree of thermal comfort. This means that minimum requirements around primary heating systems must be met as well as minimum energy efficiency standards. By 1 October 2030 all new and existing domestic private rented properties must be at an EPC C or equivalent or have a valid exemption registered.
- Should be free from damp and mould. Landlords will need to ensure that they are addressing damp and mould when it is reported to them by tenants and take a proactive approach to prevention. The government intends to prevent issues from escalating to the stage where action is required under Awaab’s Law which will be extended to the private rented sector by the Renters Rights Act.
Time, Regulation & Enforcement
Landlords in both the social and private rented sectors will have until 2035 to bring properties up to the new standards and once in force, the Regulator of Social Housing and local authority teams respectively will enforce compliance.
The Renters’ Rights Act makes non-compliance a criminal offence, and subject to a civil penalty of up to £7,000 from the local council.
The Government will publish further detailed guidance later this year to support the DHS’s implementation.