Decent Homes Standard

A long-promised minimum quality standard for rented homes — extended to private tenants for the first time, but not until 2035. Here is what it will cover, and what already protects you in the meantime.

Does the Decent Homes Standard apply to my privately rented home right now?

Not yet. On 28 January 2026 the government confirmed that a common Decent Homes Standard will apply to the private rented sector from 2035. Until that date, there is no legal duty on private landlords to meet the standard itself, although other, currently enforceable protections already cover serious disrepair and safety hazards.

What can I do right now if my rented home is in poor condition?

You do not need to wait for the Decent Homes Standard to take action. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 already gives tenants a direct right to sue a landlord who lets a property that is not fit for human habitation, and councils can use Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) powers to force a landlord to fix serious hazards such as damp, mould, or dangerous electrics.

What are the 5 criteria a home must meet under the Decent Homes Standard?

The standard assesses whether a home is free of serious health and safety hazards, is in a reasonable state of repair, has reasonably modern facilities and services, and provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort, alongside meeting the statutory minimum standard for housing. The detailed criteria for the private rented sector are expected to be confirmed through further consultation ahead of 2035.

Is Awaab's Law the same thing as the Decent Homes Standard?

No, they are different measures with different timelines. Awaab's Law sets strict deadlines for landlords to investigate and fix hazards such as damp and mould, and currently applies to social housing. Extending it to the private rented sector is expected but, unlike the Decent Homes Standard's confirmed 2035 date, no set commencement date has yet been announced.

Why is the government giving landlords until 2035 to comply?

The government has said the long lead time reflects consultation responses about the scale of works some homes will need, while stating its expectation that landlords should start improvements earlier wherever feasible rather than waiting until close to the deadline.

Will the Decent Homes Standard apply to social housing too?

Yes. The government has proposed a single, common standard covering both social housing and the private rented sector, rather than separate standards for each, with social landlords generally expected to have a shorter path to compliance than private landlords.

Decent Homes Standard

Renters' Rights · Glossary

Decent Homes Standard

A long-promised minimum quality standard for rented homes — extended to private tenants for the first time, but not until 2035. Here is what it will cover, and what already protects you in the meantime.

Last reviewed: July 2026

Renters' Rights track

Decent Homes Standard

is a set of minimum quality criteria for rented housing — covering safety hazards, state of repair, facilities and thermal comfort — which the government has confirmed will extend to privately rented homes for the first time, from 2035.

Where this comes from

Renters' Rights Act 2025

— provides the legal framework to extend a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector.

Government confirmation, 28 January 2026 — the common Decent Homes Standard will apply to private rented homes from 2035.

Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018

— the current, already-enforceable route for a tenant to sue over a seriously substandard home.

What the standard actually covers, and when

The Decent Homes Standard has existed for social housing since the mid-2000s. It assesses whether a home is free of serious health and safety hazards, is in a reasonable state of repair, has reasonably modern facilities and services, and provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort. For years, campaigners and successive governments discussed extending an equivalent standard to privately rented homes, which had no directly comparable minimum quality benchmark.

, the government confirmed that a single, common Decent Homes Standard will apply to both social housing and the private rented sector — but only

for private lets. The government has said the long lead time reflects the scale of works some homes will need, while stating its expectation that landlords should begin improvements earlier wherever practical rather than waiting until the deadline approaches. The detailed criteria specific to the private rented sector are expected to be finalised through further consultation before that date.

What this means if your home is substandard today

Because the Decent Homes Standard itself does not yet apply to private tenancies, you cannot currently bring a claim, or ask a court or tribunal to act, on the basis that your home fails to meet it. That gap matters, and it is worth being clear about it rather than assuming the standard offers protection it does not yet provide.

It does not mean you have no protection at all. The

already gives tenants a direct right to sue a landlord where a property is not fit for human habitation — covering serious damp and mould, structural disrepair, and dangerous conditions. Separately, local councils can use their powers under the

Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)

to inspect a property and require a landlord to fix serious hazards, regardless of the Decent Homes Standard timeline.

, which sets strict deadlines for landlords to investigate and fix hazards, currently applies to social housing; an extension to the private rented sector is expected but, unlike the Decent Homes Standard, has no confirmed commencement date.

What the 5 criteria are likely to mean in practice

While the private rented sector criteria are still subject to consultation ahead of 2035, the existing social housing standard gives a reasonable guide to what is likely to be assessed. A home free of serious hazards typically means no significant damp, mould, excess cold, or dangerous electrics or gas installations. A reasonable state of repair covers the structure, roof, windows and doors, and the major building elements not being significantly aged or defective. Reasonably modern facilities and services generally means a kitchen and bathroom that are not outdated to the point of being impractical or unsafe, with adequate noise insulation. Thermal comfort refers to effective insulation and a heating system capable of keeping the home warm at reasonable cost.

None of this is enforceable against a private landlord today. It is set out here so that tenants can distinguish between what the eventual standard is expected to require and what already exists as a legal minimum through the Fitness for Human Habitation Act 2018 and HHSRS, which tend to focus more narrowly on hazards serious enough to pose an immediate risk rather than the broader quality-of-life criteria the Decent Homes Standard is expected to cover.

Common misconceptions

How this fits with the other reforms on the way

The Decent Homes Standard is one of several private rented sector reforms moving on different timelines, and it is easy to conflate them. The main tenancy reforms under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 — the end of assured shorthold tenancies with fixed terms, the Section 13 rent-increase process, and the abolition of Section 21 “no fault” evictions — took effect on 1 May 2026. The Private Rented Sector Database, intended to register landlords and properties, is expected to roll out regionally from late 2026 with a fuller launch afterwards. A Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman, giving tenants a free route to complain about their landlord outside the courts, is expected to follow later still. Against that backdrop, the Decent Homes Standard's 2035 date is the longest-dated commitment of the group.

For a tenant trying to work out what actually protects them today, the safest approach is to check the current commencement status of each measure rather than assume that everything announced as part of the wider reform package is already in force. Legislation being passed and a specific provision actually commencing are two different things, and the gap between them has in this case stretched to nearly a decade for the Decent Homes Standard specifically.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & further reading

Dealing with a substandard rented home right now?

Start My Claim helps you document disrepair and build a case under the protections that already apply today — you don't need to wait until 2035.

Last reviewed: July 2026.

References checked against the government's Decent Homes Standard announcement of 28 January 2026 and the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

This page is explanatory only and is not legal advice. Start My Claim is self-service software, not a law firm — its tools help you build and run your own case.