Government launches consultation on extending Decent Homes Standard to private rented sector

The Renters' Rights Bill will introduce the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector. This requirement already applies to socially rented properties and the Government wishes to extend it to the private rented sector. A consultation was launched by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 2 July 2025 on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes.

The Decent Homes Standard was first implemented in 2001 to the social rented sector. For a property to comply with the Decent Homes Standard, it must meet the following minimum standards:

• Be free from health and safety hazards at the highest level of category 1;
• Be in a reasonable state of repair;
• Have reasonably modern facilities and services; and
• Provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.

The Government has reviewed this standard and intends to update it. For example, this would include adding requirements for window restrictors to be installed in properties and updating the way in which disrepair is measured to remove requirements linked to the age of a building component in the property. Instead, the key measurement would be whether something is in poor condition rather whether it is old and broken. In addition, the Government wants to add a requirement to the Decent Homes Standard that all properties should be free from damp and mould. The Government also seeks views on whether the Decent Homes Standard should include requirements around the security of windows and doors by mandating measures such as the ability to lock windows and including double locks and chains on doors.

The Decent Homes Standard will sit alongside other legislation governing the standard of repair such as the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 which requires privately rented properties to be fit for habitation otherwise the Court can require a landlord to carry out repairs and to pay compensation to a tenant.

The consultation also considers how the Decent Homes Standard will impact not only landlords who own the freehold of the property but those who own a leasehold interest in the property and then sublet it to a tenant. The Government has included provisions in the Renters’ Rights Bill which will enable enforcement notices to be served in relation to the Decent Homes Standard on both the landlord and any superior landlord if the local authority considers it appropriate to do so. Enforcement is governed by the local authority and includes substantial fines.

Alongside the consultation, the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee launched an inquiry on 3 July 2025 examining housing conditions in England. The Inquiry will be exploring the prevalence of hazards such as damp and mold in the social housing and private rented sectors and considering policies (including the Renters' Rights Bill) to improve housing conditions.

Following closure of the consultation, the Government plans to issue guidance on the Decent Homes Standard to help stakeholders understand their duties and responsibilities. It is planning a long lead in time to implement the updated Decent Homes Standard into the private rented sector in 2035 or 2037 but with the expectation that landlords start to commence works to comply with the Decent Homes Standard at the earliest opportunity before then.

The consultation will close on 10 September 2025 and relevant stakeholders may wish to consider responding to the consultation.

We are tracking developments on our Essential Residential hub and our timeline: Evolution of the private rented sector, which can be found here.