Landlords and agents warned ‘Decent Homes Standard coming soon’
Labour will shortly begin consulting on a Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector, which will include significant fines for those who don't manage properties to its standards.
The government has announced it will launch a consultation as soon as possible on its Decent Homes Standard with the aim of ensuring housing in the private rented and social sectors is both safe and secure.
Decent Home Standards already apply to the social sector and the requirements are currently:
1) Properties should be in a reasonable state of repair
2) They should also have reasonably modern facilities and services
3) And they should provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort
The consultation will also include new Access to Information Requirements for housing associations, under which the sector’s 2.5 million households will be able to hold their landlords to account.
Another area to be covered in the consultation will be the Competence and Conduct Standard for the social rented sector that aims to ensure staff have the right skills to carry out the role they sometimes have in supporting some of the most vulnerable people in society.
Modern facilities
And those new standards will include qualification requirements for senior managers and executives so that tenants are treated with respect and dignity.
In the same announcement, the government said that it will be bringing forward legislation for Awaab’s Law to the autumn, which will mean hazards such as damp and mould must be investigated and remedied to set timescales.
It is not yet clear how long the process will take, but Angela Rayner reaffirmed her commitment to: “Make sure people have good, secure housing,” in her appearance on Sunday with Laura Kuennsberg.
Industry reaction
Timothy Douglas, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Propertymark, says: “Property agents want to see safe and secure homes across the private rented sector, so extending the Decent Homes Standards and Awaab’s Law into the Private Rented Sector are welcome steps.
“However, an understanding of different property types and greater partnership when working with agents, tenants and landlords is key to the success of these measures.
“Furthermore, many property agents are already operating to professional standards, so will want to know through the consultation process how the UK Government will ensure local authorities are adequately resourced and funded so they can enforce the new rules effectively.”
