The government has announced it will consult on a new Decent Homes Standard for the rented sectors.
The official announcement followed a Labour Party conference speech made by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner in which she signalled the government’s intention to bring in a Decent Homes Standard.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the consultation will launch “as soon as possible”, and “will look to ensure safe, secure housing is the standard people can expect in both social housing and private rented properties”.
The government will also bring forward legislation for Awaab’s Law in the social rented sector this autumn, meaning hazards such as damp and mould must be investigated and remedied to set timescales.
“Implementing this legislation for social housing and extending protections to the private rented sector will support tenants to secure faster repairs, reducing health and safety risks,” said a government spokesperson.
Alongside this the government will introduce new access to information requirements for housing associations in order to enable tenants from the 2.5 million households managed by housing associations to “hold their landlords to account and drive up the quality of the housing and services they provide”.
The spokesperson added: “We will also introduce a Competence and Conduct standard for the social rented sector that will ensure staff have the right skills, behaviours and experience to carry out the role they have in supporting often some of the most vulnerable in our society.
“The new standard, which will include qualification requirements for senior managers and executives, will help to raise standards across the sector, ensuring tenants receive a professional service and are treated with respect and dignity.”
The government will bring forward further plans for high quality housebuilding through the revised National Planning Policy Framework this autumn, following the NPPF consultation which closes on 24 September.
Commenting on the announcement, Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, said: “Property agents want to see safe and secure homes across the private rented sector, so extending the Decent Homes Standards and Awaab’s Law into the private rented sector are welcome steps.
“However, an understanding of different property types and greater partnership when working with agents, tenants and landlords is key to the success of these measures.
“Furthermore, many property agents are already operating to professional standards, so will want to know through the consultation process how the UK government will ensure local authorities are adequately resourced and funded so they can enforce the new rules effectively.”