The Decent Homes Standard was traditionally the benchmark for social housing providers, but changes to the Renters’ Rights Act have extended its application to the Private Rented Sector (PRS) for the first time. What does this mean in practice, and what has changed?
The answer, in brief, is that the PRS now has to meet the same basic human standard that has long been the goal for social housing providers – a home that is safe and meets the needs of its occupants, rather than being described by legal jargon such as ‘fit for purpose’ or ‘satisfies basic conditions’. For a Gloucester Letting Agency, contact www.tgres.co.uk
The most important changes to existing law relate to Zero Tolerance for Serious Hazards. In particular, a property will now automatically fail the standard if it contains a Category 1 hazard, ie, a hazard where there is a real health risk… ‘, such as wiring that needs replacing, ceilings or walls that are unsafe and damp in internal walls or other areas where it is a serious concern, such as near heating appliances.
Further changes relate to patch-up jobs, specifically altering the weight you give to a property’s age. Whether or not a property fails will now depend not just on its age but on its condition. This means that factors such as the condition of the roof or external doors and windows, the boiler, and so on, will all be taken into account when making the decision, and any disrepair at all will cause a failure, rather than just letting the disrepair ‘count’ towards the age of the property. You can no longer put off repairing a leaking gutter or a broken window seal on the basis that the property is not yet 30 years old.
Freedom from damp and mould forms a separate requirement in its own right, rather than just a factor that comes under the ‘safe’ heading, and this means that, if your rental property contains damp, then you’ll fail the standard, even if it’s not affecting the tenants’ health. It also means that you cannot just leave damp walls or ceilings because they don’t yet cause a health emergency – this is no longer acceptable. Consistent dampness will lead to a failure to meet the standard, and you will therefore need to take proactive steps to eliminate the risk, eg, by improving ventilation or insulation.
What does this mean for you? Responsible landlords are unlikely to face any significant change as a result of these changes. For the wider rental market as a whole, however, these new standards represent the end of an era of shabby but liveable rental properties.
