Decent Homes Standard

The Decent Homes Standard has been set by Government and all our homes must meet the standard. We invested over £128 million between 2006 and 2010 in the council’s housing stock to bring all homes up to the standard improving kitchens & bathrooms, roofing, external wall insulation and heating systems.

We are confident that all our homes still meet the standard, but we are carrying out surveys in all of them to make sure they do.

To meet The Decent Homes Standard, the home must:

1. Meet the current statutory minimum standard for housing, known as the “Health and Safety Rating System” (HHSRS) without any of the serious hazards listed known as Category One hazards

2. Be in a reasonable state of repair

3. Have reasonably modern facilities and services, meaning:

  • a reasonably modern kitchen (20 years old or less);
  • a kitchen with adequate space and layout;
  • a reasonably modern bathroom (30 years old or less);
  • an appropriately located bathroom and WC;
  • adequate insulation against external noise (where external noise is a problem); and
  • adequate size and layout of common areas for blocks of flats

A home can lacking two or fewer of the above and still be classed as decent.

4. It provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort ( it is neither too hot nor too cold) with effective insulation and heating.

The full guidance from Government on Decent Homes can be found here: A decent home: definition and guidance - GOV.UK

Right to a home fit for human habitation

All of our homes meet the Decent Homes Standard and we pride ourselves in delivering a fast and effective repairs service, so we are confident that our homes are warm, safe and well maintained places to live. Under the law; the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (‘the Act’) we must ensure that all rented accommodation is fit for human habitation. Courts will decide if they are by considering whether:

  • the building has been neglected and is in a bad condition
  • the building is unstable
  • there’s a serious problem with damp
  • it has an unsafe layout
  • there’s not enough natural light
  • there’s not enough ventilation
  • there is a problem with the supply of hot and cold water
  • there are problems with the drainage or the lavatories
  • it’s difficult to prepare and cook food or wash up
  • or any of the 29 hazards set out in the Housing Health and Safety (England) Regulations 2005