Decent Homes Standard

[edit] Background

The idea for a Decent Homes Standard was first introduced in 1997, when the UK government considered there were 2.2 million non-decent homes. In July 2000, the Government announced a target to: ‘ensure that all social housing meets set standards of decency by 2010, by reducing the number of households living in social housing that does not meet these standards by a third between 2001 and 2004, with most of the improvement taking place in the most deprived local authority areas’.

In 2010, the original deadline by which improvements must be made to properties, the National Audit Office (NAO) found that over a million social homes had been improved the Programme. However, it suggested that ‘….there are risks to both the Programme’s completion and what has been achieved so far if a reliable funding mechanism is not put in place to deliver the remainder of the Programme and to maintain homes to a decent standard. Hundreds of thousands of families are still living in properties which are not warm, weather tight, or in a reasonable state of repair.’

The standard was still referred to by local and central government, and housing charities, but at the time the most recent version referred to the 2010 deadline, so its status was not clear. In 2012, The Chartered Institute of Housing suggested that there was a need to move forwards, stating that ‘A new standard is required, especially to face the challenge of upgrading the energy efficiency of the stock and to tackle wider environmental issues in estates.’

[edit] New government and new Decent Homes Standards

Following their landslide victory in the Elections of 2024, the Labour government announced their intention to revise the National Planning Policy Framework, the NPPF consultation closed on 24 September. On 22 September 2024 ( and linked to the changes in the NPPF the government announced their intention seek measures to ensure decent homes for all and to consult on a new Decent Homes Standard for the rented sectors. A standard looking to ensure safe, secure housing is the standard people not just for social housing but also for private rented properties.

Under the previous conservative government Part 1 of the Social Housing Decent Homes Standard Review, concluded in autumn 2021, aimed to understand to what extent the current Standard is the right ask of the social housing sector today and to consider the case for change. The feedback made clear the standard remains broadly suitable and effective, but that updates may be beneficial. Part 2 of the review began in spring 2022 following the Levelling up white paper announcements exploring both the application of the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector and potential regulatory changes to the standard that would apply to both sectors. The government published a consultation on applying the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector. The consultation ran from 2 September to 14 October 2022.

Also in September 2024 the labour government announced its intention to bring forward legislation for Awaab’s Law in the social rented sector, so hazards such as damp and mould are investigated and remedied to set timescales. The legislation being implemented for social housing with extended protections to the private rented sector, to support tenants to secure faster repairs, reducing health and safety risks.

The government also announced its intention to introduce new access to information requirements for housing associations, to enable tenants from the 2.5 million households managed by housing associations to hold their landlords to account and drive up the quality of the housing and services they provide. This right will be further supported what is being described as a Competence and Conduct standard for the social rented sector to ensure staff have the right skills, behaviours and experience to carry out their role. The new standard, including qualification requirements for senior managers and executives, aims to raise standards across the sector, ensuring tenants, often the most vulnerable in society, receive a professional service and are treated with respect and dignity.

[edit] Historical background policy notes

The Spending Review 2002 extended the decent homes target to the private sector so that it applied to social housing i.e. that owned by Local Authorities and Registered Social Landlords (generally known as Housing Associations) and private housing occupied by vulnerable groups.

Guidance on how the standard would be assessed was published in July 2001 and then updated in April 2002 and again in 2004. In 2006 the standard was revised following the introduction of the Housing Act 2004.

The minimum standard requires that:

• The property must be free of Category 1 hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
• It must be in a reasonable state of repair.
• It must have reasonably modern facilities and services.
• It must provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.

A property could fail the Decent Homes Standard if, for example, there is persistent damp, an electrical system in poor condition, an inadequate bathroom or kitchen, or it is too cold.

Local authorities have a duty to take enforcement action in relation to category 1 hazards and discretion to act in relation to category 2 hazards.

In 2010, the original deadline by which improvements must be made to properties, the National Audit Office (NAO) found that over a million social homes had been improved the Programme. However, it suggested that ‘….there are risks to both the Programme’s completion and what has been achieved so far if a reliable funding mechanism is not put in place to deliver the remainder of the Programme and to maintain homes to a decent standard. Hundreds of thousands of families are still living in properties which are not warm, weather tight, or in a reasonable state of repair.’

The standard is still referred to by local and central government, and housing charities, however, as the most recent version of the standard still refers to a deadline for improvements of 2010, its status no longer clear.

In 2012, The Chartered Institute of Housing suggested that there was a need to move forwards, stating that ‘A new standard is required, especially to face the challenge of upgrading the energy efficiency of the stock and to tackle wider environmental issues in estates.’

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• A measure of net well-being that incorporates the effect of housing environmental impacts.
• Creating strong communities – measuring social sustainability in new housing development.
• Decent Homes for Ageing Well.
• Fuel poverty.
• Heat Energy: The Nation’s Forgotten Crisis.
• Home quality mark.
• NHBC technical standards.
• Technical housing standards – nationally described space standard.
• The cold man of europe 2015.
• The cost of poor housing to the NHS.
• The full cost of poor housing.
• The full cost of poor housing in Wales.
• The real cost of poor housing

[edit] External references.

• A Decent Home: Definition and guidance for implementation June 2006, DCLG.
• Sustainable communities: building for the future.
• A Decent Home: The definition and guidance for implementation, 2004.
• Quality and Choice: A Decent Home for All.
• Decent Homes: Capturing the Standard at the Local Level which is the annex to Collecting, Managing and Using Stock Condition Information.
• NAO, Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General HC 212 SesSIon 2009–2010 21 january 2010. The Decent Homes Programme.