10:02 AM, 2nd July 2025, About 2 weeks ago 16
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The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has welcomed a government consultation that would extend the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector.
That’s despite, according to the English Housing Survey, most homes in the PRS surpassing the expected DHS criteria.
The government’s plan is to set a quality benchmark which only applies to social housing currently but will, it claims, ‘deliver transformational change’ on the private sector too.
The NRLA is also calling for ‘properly resourced’ council enforcement of the standard.
The government says that the consultation will ‘modernise the standard, with proposals that hold tenant safety at their core but remain proportionate and affordable for providers to deliver’.
The NRLA’s chief executive, Ben Beadle, said: “We welcome publication of the government’s proposals and will engage positively as they consult on them.
“Landlords, letting agents, tenants and councils need a clear, coherent and workable set of standards to meet.”
He added: “However, setting this standard is only part of the solution.
“Without effective and properly resourced enforcement by councils, the minority of rogue and criminal landlords will continue to undermine tenants’ confidence and damage the reputation of the wider sector.
“It is time to find and root out poor practice for good.”
Housing and planning minister, Matthew Pennycook, said: “Everyone deserves a decent home, whether they rent privately or from a social landlord.
“The Decent Homes Standard will raise the bar for housing quality across the rented sectors, driving up standards and ensuring tenants’ voices are heard.”
He added: “We want to hear from tenants, landlords and providers to make sure these changes deliver safe, warm and decent homes in a way that works for everyone.”
The DHS, established in 2006, mandates that social housing homes maintain a reasonable state of repair.
They must also include modern amenities and remain free from significant risks like damp or mould.
Under the standard, private landlords would need to ensure that kitchens are not older than 20 years, and bathrooms must be less than 30 years old.
The government is also considering other safety measures, such as fitting window restrictors to protect children from falls.
Government plans will also see Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) being implemented in the social housing sector for the first time.
Mr Beadle said: “Decent and safe housing should be the bedrock of the rental market.
“Any landlord failing to provide this should have no place in the private rented sector.
“79% of private rented homes already meet the existing Decent Homes Standard, despite it not being legally binding on the sector.
“We want to ensure every rented home is of a decent quality.”
The consultation will run for eight weeks, closing on 24 September, and the government will work closely with tenants, landlords and housing providers to develop the final proposals.
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Crouchender
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Sign Up10:16 AM, 3rd July 2025, About A week ago
All NRLA keep going on about is better enforcement (funded by us decent LLs with licence fees) and 'welcome' every new bit of red tape regulation.
DEREGULATE TO MAKE PRS WORK LONG TERM
Council have powers already to take on dodgy LLs but they just want to push borough-wide selective licence schemes to rake in the money and chase decent LLs who sign up to the schemes. After council clipboard inspections they slap improvement notices for minor issues and penalties for easy income stream.
Reluctant Landlord
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Sign Up13:28 PM, 3rd July 2025, About A week ago
Reply to the comment left by Keith Wellburn at 02/07/2025 - 13:31
I am at this precise moment refurbing a small one bed flat due to being trashed by a nightmare tenant.
Normally I would re-carpet. Not this time. Its cheap vinyl flooring throughout and if anyone complaints....I shall direct them to the council rental 'standard' that provides basic lino in bathroom and kitchen only.
Reluctant Landlord
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Sign Up13:32 PM, 3rd July 2025, About A week ago
Reply to the comment left by Billy Gunn at 02/07/2025 - 13:48
The government is also considering other safety measures, such as fitting window restrictors to protect children from falls.
Hahaha - I did that in one property. They were hammered off the frame, tenants complaining they can't get enough air flow through the 6 inches or so of the opening 'allowance'.
DPT
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Sign Up16:45 PM, 4th July 2025, About A week ago
My understanding is that the new proposals for the DHS do away with ghe age criteria altogether and focus on condition.
The bigger worry for me is the requirements under mould and damp. These a based on the idea that any mould is always the landlords fault. Landlords should respond to the consultation in large numbers outlining their experience with mould caused by tenant lifestyle.
Judith Wordsworth
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Sign Up8:13 AM, 5th July 2025, About A week ago
Reply to the comment left by Paul Essex at 02/07/2025 - 12:42
I personally think a much better organisation that gives landlords access to forms, templates, if they cannot look on Gov.UK themselves or draft their own, and for succinct and helpful advice is Pims.co.uk.
I have no connection to Pims.co.uk other than using their advice re one utterly horrendous and threatening tenant.
Judith Wordsworth
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Sign Up8:15 AM, 5th July 2025, About A week ago
Reply to the comment left by Reluctant Landlord at 03/07/2025 - 13:28
Check your Lease. Some Leases state all rooms bar kitchen and bathroom MYST be carpeted.