Private landlords have been given a temporary reprieve after confirmation that the new Decent Homes Standard will not yet be extended to the private rented sector, delaying the impact of further regulatory change.
The new Decent Homes Standard will apply to the private rented sector from 2035, it was confirmed yesterday.
The revised standard will eventually replace the existing Decent Homes framework, which currently applies only to social housing, with plans for it to cover both sectors.
The update follows a consultation held last summer as part of the wider reforms set out in the Renters’ Rights Act.
NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle has welcomed the news, which he says gives landlords much need clarity.
He said: “Providing a decent, safe place to live should be the top priority for any landlord.
“Whilst we will study the detail carefully, we broadly welcome the Government’s plans, which provide much-needed clarity for both landlords and tenants about the standards that should be expected of homes to rent.”
However, campaigners have reacted furiously to the decision to delay enforcement for almost a decade, describing it as “absurd”.
Ben Twomey, the chief executive of Generation Rent, said: “It is absurd to let landlords drag their feet for an entire decade, denying renters the most basic standards in our homes. It will mean millions of renters, including children, trapped living in poor-quality homes with nowhere to turn.”
The campaign group had pushed for a deadline of 2030 for implementation of the new standard, which was promised as part of the Renters’ Rights Act.
Paula Barker, the Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree, described the decision as a “disgrace”.
He told the press: “This means families, individuals and children will remain stuck in dangerous, substandard housing, that very well may be having long-term impacts on their health, for close to another decade. This decision is shameful and completely unacceptable.”
The housing minister, Matthew Pennycook, said the new timeline would give “social landlords in particular the time and the certainty they need to boost housing supply as well as drive up the quality of the homes they manage”.