Landlords support Decent Homes Standard for the PRS

Landlords support Decent Homes Standard for the PRS

10:21 AM, 12th April 2023, About A year ago 7

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There is strong support for the introduction of a minimum set of property standards for the private rented sector (PRS), research reveals.

Paragon Bank says that six in 10 landlords would support such a move – 34% ‘strongly support’ the measure and 28% express ‘general support’.

However, 8% of landlords are not aware of plans to introduce minimum standards to the PRS.

The Government has consulted on its plan to bring in a Decent Homes Standard for as part of its Renters Reform Bill and the PRS awaits the next steps.

‘Landlords have nothing to fear from a Decent Homes Standard’

Paragon Bank’s managing director of mortgages, Richard Rowntree, said: “The vast majority of landlords have nothing to fear from a Decent Homes Standard as they are providing a good quality home to their tenants already.

“It’s the minority of landlords who don’t meet these standards that are tarnishing the wider reputation of the sector.”

He added: “At Paragon, we employ our own in-house team of surveyors, who assess a rental property to a stringent standard, so we act as a natural barrier to poor quality homes entering the sector.

“Landlords have made great strides in improving the standards of rental property over the past 15 years and they should be celebrated.”

Landlords are frustrated at a lack of action to drive out rogue elements

The research shows that 74% of landlords are frustrated at a lack of action to drive out rogue elements who let sub-standard homes from the sector.

And, as Mr Rowntree highlights, the PRS has experienced a significant improvement in the standard of homes over the past 15 years, correlating with the growth of buy-to-let finance.

In a new report called ‘Raising the standard of privately rented property’, the lender says that in 2008, 44% of homes in the PRS sector were defined as non-decent according to the Government’s English Housing Survey.

Today, that figure is now 23% with the number of good quality homes diluting the presence of poorer stock.

3.3 million homes classed as decent

To underline this change, Paragon says that 1.8 million privately rented homes in 2008 were classed as decent, rising to 3.3 million in 2021 – that’s an 83% increase.

There has also been a reduction in the number of properties classed as non-decent – falling from 1.4 million to 990,000, a 29% reduction.

A Decent Homes Standard was introduced for the social housing sector in 2001, with the proportion of homes that do not meet the Standard reducing from 39% in 2001 to 13% in 2020.


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Comments

TheBiggerPicture

19:31 PM, 12th April 2023, About A year ago

Another one of these dumb ideas.
Who is to decide what is decent. Not the tenant or landlord but some person with arbitrary criteria not related to the transaction.

All the rules will do is remove choice and supply at the bottom end of the market and increase compliance costs for everyone.

If they dare not apply the same rules to homeowner's then it's not even a standard, it's a partial imposition.

Old Mrs Landlord

9:17 AM, 13th April 2023, About A year ago

"Landlord have nothing to fear from a Decent Homes standard" unless they have tenants who don't heat and ventilate their properties properly.

David Houghton

16:25 PM, 18th November 2023, About 5 months ago

The landlords problem with decent home standard is when they have to pay the council to confirm it's decent, then pass that cost on to the tenant.
Making more homes available would create a market, where landlords compete with rent and standard of property to get tenants. You could solve the housing crisis by building more homes. Why is that so hard for politicians to understand?

David

10:06 AM, 19th November 2023, About 5 months ago

I wonder if they'd still support it if they knew that the current standard can include things like the quality of the decor and the age of the bathroom or kitchen fittings.

Crouchender

20:23 PM, 19th November 2023, About 5 months ago

Reply to the comment left by David at 19/11/2023 - 10:06
This is just more red tape. No we don't support red tape. If a LL wants to decorate / new bathroom/ new kitchen they do it as it gives more rent long term.

DHS will be used a whip for LLs by Labour in power policed by councils hungry for penalty income.

GlanACC

8:22 AM, 20th November 2023, About 5 months ago

How can 8% of landlords be not aware of introducing minimum standards in the PRS. Where have they been for the past 5 years ?

Crouchender

16:49 PM, 20th November 2023, About 5 months ago

I really do feel the DHS is going to grow arms and legs along the way as things get bolted on. It will be legislation anyway and the housing sec. can add things afterwards without asking for a vote from parliament.

Us LLs are sleep walking into standards that will be OTT. Watch this space!

Remember bad LLs NEVER follow any standards / regs/ licensing. As some one said on this forum- They are too expensive to pursue so councils just go for the low hanging fruit .

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