Published on 28 January 2026, the Government’s New Decent Homes Standard (DHS) marks the most significant overhaul of minimum housing quality requirements in over two decades. For the first time, it creates one unified standard for both the social rented sector (SRS) and the private rented sector (PRS), with full enforcement planned for 2035.
This blog breaks down what landlords need to know, the changes coming, and what it means for your portfolio planning.
Why the Standard Has Been Reformed
The Government states that millions of tenants continue to live in substandard or unsafe homes, facing risks such as damp, mould, structural defects and faulty heating systems. To address this and support broader housing renewal goals — including building 1.5 million homes this Parliament — the DHS has been modernised and expanded.
Alongside the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and Awaab’s Law, the DHS forms part of a tighter, more consistent regulatory framework designed to increase tenant safety and strengthen oversight.
The Five Core Requirements for All Rented Homes
All landlords — social and private — will need to ensure their homes meet the following:
1. Free from Serious ‘Category 1’ Hazards
Homes must be free from the most dangerous hazards identified under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. This includes risks such as fire, falls, carbon monoxide and electrical safety.
2. Reasonable State of Repair
The former age-based rules (e.g., “replace kitchens every X years”) are abolished. Instead, a condition-based test applies, supported by an expanded list of key components, including kitchens, bathrooms, roofs, and heating systems. These must be maintained to a “reasonable state of repair.”
3. Core Facilities and Services
Landlords must ensure homes have essential facilities in good working order and meet new safety-related requirements. A notable addition is the mandate for child-resistant window restrictors where there is a risk of falls.
4. Thermal Comfort & Energy Efficiency
The DHS is aligned with future Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES). Expect requirements such as:
- Programmable, whole-home heating systems
- Gradual improvements toward higher EPC levels (details still to be set)
Different timelines for PRS and SRS energy upgrades will be confirmed in upcoming regulations.
5. Addressing Damp & Mould
There is a new standalone legal requirement for landlords to identify, treat and prevent damp and mould promptly. This is partly driven by the Government’s wider response to safety concerns raised through Awaab’s Law.
When Do the New Rules Apply?
- Already applies: Social rented sector
- Applies from 2035: Private rented sector (PRS), giving landlords nearly a decade to plan improvements
Why This Matters for Private Landlords
For PRS landlords, the DHS signals a fundamental shift:
- A move away from “minimum compliance” towards proactive asset management
- Greater scrutiny of repairs, data quality, and record keeping
- Stronger expectations around energy performance and heating upgrades
- Increased enforcement and tenant accountability mechanisms
Industry bodies, like the NRLA, welcome the clarity but warn that robust enforcement — and better resourcing for councils — will be essential.
What Social Landlords Need to Prepare For
Social landlords will see DHS embedded into consumer standards by the Regulator of Social Housing. Key expectations include:
- High‑quality stock condition surveys
- Proactive, preventative repair programmes
- Strong audit trails demonstrating issues have been both identified and resolved
- Plans for programmable heating and future MEES compliance
Link with Wider Housing Reforms
The DHS sits alongside major policy shifts including:
Renters’ Rights Act 2025
- Ending Section 21 evictions from 1 May 2026
- Rent increase limits
- Tenant protections against discrimination
- New Private Landlord Ombudsman and PRS Database rolling out from late 2026
These reforms aim to rebalance rights and responsibilities across the sector.
What Should Landlords Do Now?
1. Review your properties
Assess your properties against the five DHS criteria — especially hazards, damp/mould, heating systems and “key components.”
2. Prepare an Investment Plan
Upgrades to heating, windows, ventilation and insulation may take several years to plan and fund.
3. Tighten Your Record Keeping
Demonstrate how you diagnose, action and close repair issues. This will be essential in any regulatory or legal challenge.
4. Monitor MEES Guidance
Energy rules will be phased, and early compliance may offer cost advantages.
5. Strengthen Tenant Communications
Clear information and prompt responses to damp, mould, hazard or heating issues will become increasingly critical — and legally enforceable.
Final Thoughts
The New Decent Homes Standard represents a step-change in rental housing quality across England. Whether you operate in the social sector, the private rented sector, or both, the DHS sets a higher bar for safety, condition, and comfort and signals a more regulated, data-driven era for landlords.
Planning early will not only reduce future compliance risk but also help maintain asset value and improve tenant satisfaction.
Three Sixty Living are here to help our landlords stay compliant through the legislation changes to help give you peace of mind with your investment property.
Contact us on 0161 474 2696 or by email on lettings@threesixtyliving.uk
Three Sixty Living
Three Sixty Living are an award-winning, profit-for-purpose Property Management company based in the heart of Stockport and serving Greater Manchester.
