The new Decent Homes Standard will apply to the private rented sector in England from 2035, bringing private landlords within a framework that has historically applied to social housing.
That date may feel distant, but landlords should not treat 2035 as the point at which they need to start thinking about property condition. The direction of travel is already clear: privately rented homes will be expected to meet a more consistent standard covering safety, repair, facilities, thermal comfort, energy efficiency, damp and mould.
The Government has also made clear that landlords should not wait until the end of the implementation period before improving properties.
For landlords making decisions today about refurbishment, refinancing, retention or sale, the new standard should already form part of long-term planning.
What is the new Decent Homes Standard?
The new standard is intended to create a common minimum benchmark for rented homes in England.
For a property to be considered decent, it will need to satisfy five broad criteria:
- be free from the most dangerous hazards;
- be in a reasonable state of repair;
- provide appropriate core facilities and services;
- provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort; and
- be free from damp and mould.
The standard will apply to both social and private rented homes from 2035.
For private landlords, this represents an important change because the Decent Homes Standard has not previously operated as a direct regulatory standard across the PRS.
Dangerous hazards remain central
The first criterion requires properties to be free of Category 1 hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
That includes serious risks relating to matters such as:
- falls;
- fire;
- electrical hazards;
- excess cold;
- structural problems;
- damp and mould; and
- other conditions capable of causing significant harm.
Landlords should not view this as entirely new territory. Local authorities already have enforcement powers where serious hazards exist.
The 2035 standard builds on that existing safety framework rather than replacing it.
Repair will be judged more systematically
The new standard places strong emphasis on the condition of key building components.
These include areas such as:
- roofs;
- external walls;
- windows and doors;
- heating systems;
- kitchens;
- bathrooms;
- lifts where present; and
- mechanical ventilation systems.
A home can fail the repair criterion where a key component needs major repair or replacement, or where several other components are simultaneously in poor condition.
This is an important point for landlords who currently deal with repairs only when something fails completely.
Preventative maintenance is likely to become increasingly valuable.
Old does not automatically mean non-compliant
The updated approach is more focused on condition than age.
A kitchen or bathroom will not necessarily fail simply because it has been in place for many years.
The important question is whether it remains functional, safe and in reasonable repair.
That should help landlords avoid unnecessary replacement of perfectly serviceable facilities while still requiring action where condition has genuinely deteriorated.
Core facilities will matter
The standard also deals with the basic facilities a decent home should provide.
Among the issues covered are:
- adequate kitchen space and layout;
- appropriate bathroom and WC provision;
- external noise insulation where required; and
- common entrance areas in blocks of flats.
The standard also includes requirements around window safety where windows present a fall risk to children.
For landlords planning major refurbishment, extensions or conversions, these requirements should increasingly influence design decisions.
Thermal comfort links directly to energy efficiency
The thermal-comfort element will interact closely with Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.
Private rented homes are already moving towards significantly tighter energy-efficiency requirements before 2035.
The current policy direction is for private rented properties to meet EPC C or an equivalent standard by 1 October 2030, unless a valid exemption applies.
That means landlords effectively face two planning horizons:
- 2030 for the main energy-efficiency changes; and
- 2035 for the wider Decent Homes Standard.
Landlords should therefore avoid thinking about these reforms separately.
Damp and mould becomes a specific criterion
The new standard gives damp and mould its own dedicated criterion.
That matters.
Historically, damp and mould may have been considered through broader repair or hazard rules. Under the new framework, landlords will need to show that they respond to problems and take reasonable steps to prevent recurrence.
Simply cleaning visible mould without dealing with the underlying cause is unlikely to represent good long-term management.
Landlords should investigate issues such as:
- leaks;
- defective gutters;
- roof problems;
- poor ventilation;
- cold bridging;
- insulation;
- heating; and
- persistent condensation.
This builds directly on the broader direction of housing regulation towards faster, better-documented responses to damp and mould.
2035 does not suspend existing duties
One of the most important points is that landlords should not interpret the 2035 deadline as permission to leave substandard properties unchanged until then.
Existing duties still apply.
Local authorities can already act where properties contain serious hazards or fail existing housing standards.
Gas safety, electrical safety, repair obligations, fire safety, licensing and fitness requirements also continue independently of the Decent Homes Standard.
The 2035 date is about the full new standard becoming enforceable across the private rented sector, not about postponing current responsibilities.
Portfolio landlords should start with the weakest properties
Landlords with multiple properties should consider carrying out a portfolio condition review.
Rather than inspecting every property in isolation, identify which homes are most likely to require investment over the next decade.
Useful questions include:
- Which properties have the lowest EPC ratings?
- Which have recurring damp or condensation problems?
- Which roofs, windows or heating systems are approaching major replacement?
- Which flats have ageing communal facilities?
- Which properties may be difficult or expensive to bring up to future standards?
That allows investment to be prioritised instead of arriving as a sudden cost later.
Improvement decisions should now include the 2035 standard
A landlord considering spending £10,000 or £20,000 on a property should increasingly ask whether the proposed work helps solve future compliance requirements as well as today’s problem.
For example, replacing a failing heating system may present an opportunity to improve:
- energy efficiency;
- controllability;
- thermal comfort; and
- long-term compliance.
Likewise, replacing windows may improve repair condition, reduce heat loss, address noise and improve safety.
Good refurbishment planning can therefore solve several future problems at once.
Some landlords may decide not to upgrade
For certain properties, the economics may no longer stack up.
A landlord facing:
- major structural work;
- substantial energy upgrades;
- leasehold major works;
- repeated repair problems;
- refinancing costs; and
- future compliance expenditure
may reasonably decide that selling is preferable to further investment.
That decision should be made early and commercially rather than after a property reaches the point where large-scale work becomes unavoidable.
NetRent’s wider landlord services can help owners considering whether to retain, refinance, insure or sell rental property.
What should landlords do now?
2035 is far enough away to plan intelligently.
Landlords should consider:
- reviewing the condition of every rental property;
- identifying recurring defects;
- checking EPC performance;
- prioritising high-cost components nearing replacement;
- improving repair records;
- dealing with damp and mould early;
- combining compliance work with planned refurbishment; and
- reviewing whether each property still fits the long-term portfolio strategy.
This is particularly important for landlords with older housing stock.
The direction of travel is clear
The new Decent Homes Standard is not simply another isolated regulation.
It sits alongside wider changes covering energy efficiency, damp and mould, enforcement, landlord registration and tenant redress.
Taken together, these reforms are creating a private rented sector in which landlords will increasingly need to demonstrate not only that a property is legally lettable, but that it is properly maintained, safe, warm and managed to a consistent standard.
Landlords who start planning now have time to spread costs, coordinate improvements and make better investment decisions.
Those who wait until the final deadline may have fewer choices.
NetRent’s Landlord Legal Updates will continue to build a practical, searchable resource explaining the legal and regulatory changes affecting landlords across the UK, helping landlords understand not just what is changing, but what they should be doing about it.
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Important information
NetRent does not provide legal advice. The articles represent our understanding of rental property law and are for general information only.