Reforming Decency: How the new Decent Homes Standard will impact residents

Written by Lisa Driscoll, Consultant at Pennington Choices and consumer regulation expert with first-hand knowledge from the consumer regulation pilots.

This is the fifth blog in our five-part series, where our experts explore the Decent Homes Standard reforms, concluding with what the changes mean for residents and how they could improve their living experience. 

The Government’s consultation on the revised Decent Homes Standard (DHS) has been long awaited. The original standard, introduced in 2001, filled a real gap, setting clear benchmarks for housing quality and driving much-needed improvements in social housing. However, the standard has not been updated since 2006, and it has become clear that the old standard is no longer meeting the needs of tenants. Our understanding of what a “decent” home looks like has evolved, and the legislation needs to reflect that. 

Why the reform is necessary 

We are all too aware of the how poor-quality housing can have a significant impact on residents’ health, wellbeing, and quality of life.  

Data shows there has been a gap between social housing and the private rented sector, with many of the worst quality issues, such as damp and mould, found in privately rented homes. However, in both sectors, there are major issues of poor-quality homes, inadequate data, and stagnation in the investment in homes, meaning houses are starting to become less decent as time progresses. 

According to the current estimates, over 430,000 social homes currently fail to meet the existing standards, and more than 1 million privately rented homes are considered non-decent. Under the new proposals, around 2.2 million homes and 1.7 million social homes may require significant work. That speaks volumes about the scale of the challenge. Therefore, it is positive to see the proposal to expand the DHS to apply to the private sector as well as the social rented sector. 

A chance to refine decency 

The revised DHS is an opportunity to modernise the definition of a decent home. It shifts the focus from simply replacing components based on age to ensuring standards in homes genuinely support residents’ wellbeing. This includes:

• Tackling damp and mould
• Improving energy efficiency
• Ensuring warmth, ventilation, and safety 

Numerous studies have identified housing as a key factor in health inequalities. Poor housing can limit children’s education and outcomes, and affect mental and physical health. This is why it is crucial for residents to respond to the consultation, to take the opportunity to have their voices heard and shape the conversation.

The challenge of implementation 

Whilst the proposals are welcome, there are concerns about delivery.  Social housing landlords are familiar with complying with current DHS requirements, but there will be concerns on the potential impact of the more stringent requirements of the revised standard, especially given ageing stock profiles and the likely increase in costs to meet the new standard. For private landlords, however this is a significant change.  

Further clarity is necessary on how the new standard will be regulated in the private rented sector, how any improvement works will be funded across both sectors, and what will happen if landlords in either sector fail to comply.  

There is also the question of timescales. The Government has suggested full implementation could take up to 12 years, which is a long wait for residents who will want to benefit from improvements now. Therefore, residents will need clear, honest communication about what the new standard means in practice, when they can expect improvements, and what their rights are in the meantime. 

For expert insights into how the reformed DHS will impact strategic asset management, head over to our dedicated blog, ‘How the Decent Homes Standard Reforms Will Transform Strategic Asset Management in Housing’. 

Aligning the Decent Homes Standard with other standards

The focus on key issues like damp and mould, is reflective of the sector’s shift towards safety, accountability, and transparency in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the death of Awaab Ishak. For the social rented sector, the DHS is expected to become a tenant-facing compliance obligation which mirrors the tenant empowerment agenda set out in the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.

The DHS proposals are designed to  work alongside existing frameworks like the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, Awaab's Law, and the Regulator of Social Housing’s Safety and Quality Standard.  

What needs to happen next 

Once the consultation closes, the sector will be expecting more clarity and detailed guidance on how the standard will be applied, how it will be funded, and how compliance will be enforced. 

If this reform is going to succeed, residents need to be involved, not just as recipients of better services, but as active participants in shaping and scrutinising them. 

Still, I remain cautiously optimistic. The new standard is a necessary step towards improving the quality of homes across both the social and private rented sectors, rebalancing the power between residents and landlords, and putting people’s health and wellbeing at the heart of housing policy. 

If you’re looking for support in understanding what these changes will mean for your organisation, get in touch for expert help.

Read the first blog in our expert series, ‘Decent Homes Standard Reform: Transforming Strategic Asset Management’, to understand how the new standard will create a new landscape for strategic asset management. 

Access the second blog in our expert series, ‘What the Reformed Decent Homes Standard Means for Stock Condition Surveys’, to find out how the proposed changes will affect stock condition surveys.

Explore the third blog in our expert series, 'Reformed Decent Homes Standard: Component life cycles and compliance challenges', which examines how the removal of component life cycles will impact surveying. 

Discover the fourth blog in our expert series, ‘How the New Decent Homes Standard Will Impact Repairs and Maintenance’, for insights into the operational challenges and opportunities facing repairs and maintenance teams.