New consultation published on reformed Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes

The MHCLG launched a consultation on 2 July 2025 on a reformed Decent Homes Standard (DHS) for social and privately rented homes. This consultation will last for 10 weeks, ending on 10 September 2025 and aims to update the DHS which presently only applies to social housing. It is part of a package of wider housing quality reforms including Awaab’s Law, Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) Review and the Renters’ Right Bill, which extends the DHS to the private rented sector (‘PRS’) for the first time.   

This new DHS seeks to establish the minimum housing standard that tenants from both social and private rented sectors can expect from their landlords. It will also set out when it will need to be implemented.

The consultation paper sets out proposed changes to the Decent Homes Standard:

• Updating the definition of disrepair – removing the age requirement from the definition and updating the thresholds with more descriptive measures
• Revising the list of building components which must be kept in a reasonable state of repair
• Revising the approach to facilities so that landlords need to provide three out of the four facilities which would make a dwelling a decent home, being:
  • A kitchen with adequate space and layout
  • An appropriately located bathroom and WC
  • Adequate external noise insulation
  • Adequate size and layout of common entrance areas for blocks of flats   
• Introducing a window restrictor requirement
• Considering a new home security requirement
• Considering a requirement for floor coverings for new tenancies
• Streamlining and updating the thermal comfort requirements
• Introducing a new standard for damp and mould

The consultation paper sets out it is seeking to test a DHS which will:

• Act as a common standard for both social and private rented housing, as far as possible, that can be used by both tenants and landlords;
• Guarantee that focus is placed with more emphasis on the condition of the home, as opposed to the arbitrary age profiles for components;
• Further ensure good quality facilities are provided to tenants;
• Ensure that window restrictors are installed where windows present a fall hazard to children;
• Accumulate more evidence to consider further measures that could be included in a revised DHS:
  • That at the start of the tenancy, homes are provided with floor coverings; and
  • Consider whether the introduction of new minimum standards in home security are necessary, and
• Make sure that systemic issues such as damp and mould are dealt with in a more comprehensive way. 

The consultation will also seek views on Government’s proposal to set a new minimum energy efficiency standard (MEES) for socially rented homes and, also calls for views on:

• A proposal to introduce best practice guidance to sit alongside the DHS, including information to landlords on some of the ways in which they could choose to go further than the minimum standard set by the DHS;
• A proposal that the DHS becomes an enforceable requirement in privately rented homes from 2035 or 2037, and a regulatory requirement in social housing from 2035 or 2037; and
• Proposals for how regulatory and enforcing bodies should engage with landlords who are unable to meet the DHS for reasons relating to the property, their tenants, or the landlords.

This consultation will make changes to DHS Criterion B, C, D, and create a new Criterion E. Criterion E ensures landlords keep their properties free from damp and mould, this alongside introducing Awaab’s Law for both sectors sets a high standard to deal with this issue (as Renters’ Rights Bill will extend Awaab’s Law to the PRS, there will be a consultation on this approach in due course).

The Government is not looking to change to the way that the DHS is implemented in the social rented sector; the updated standard will continue to be regulated by RSH through its consumer standards. 

The new consultation can be found below:

Consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes 

If you would like further information, please contact Anna Bennett or Victoria Smith.