Housing Conditions in England

Most social homes provide tenants with warm, safe and decent places to live. The prevalence of poor conditions across the sector is generally lower than in other tenures. However, progress at bringing all social homes up to a minimum standard of decency has almost ground to a halt, with very little improvement since the pandemic. Over 25 years since the Decent Homes Standard was introduced, it is not acceptable that just under 430,000 social homes still fail to meet even this basic standard. Moreover, factors such as climate change, our country’s ageing population, and the inevitable deterioration of existing stock could lead to even more people living in poor quality, unsafe homes. (Conclusion, Paragraph 12)

We support the Government’s plans to raise the standard of social homes over the next decade, while boosting supply. These actions will go some way to improving the quality and safety of social homes. However, the Government’s plans do not address some of the long-term systemic drivers of poor conditions, especially the need to replace some of the country’s ageing stock of social homes, which, in some instances, are being used beyond their intended lifespan. The Long-term Housing Strategy represents an opportunity to address systemic drivers of poor conditions in the social housing sector. (Conclusion, Paragraph 24)

The Long-term Housing Strategy must put in place a long-term approach for improving and maintaining social homes and addressing the systemic drivers of poor housing quality, especially a long-term approach to the regeneration of existing social homes. We reiterate our call for the Government to publish this strategy as soon as possible. (Recommendation, Paragraph 25) 45 Raising the standard of social homes

We agree with the Government’s decision to rollout Awaab’s Law in phases, focusing on tackling the most dangerous hazards first. There are risks that efforts to comply with these regulations result in providers diverting resources away from the services they provide to more vulnerable tenants. There is also a risk that these regulations are not applied consistently across the sector. A phased rollout may help mitigate such risks. (Conclusion, Paragraph 30)

Even though social landlords have been anticipating the introduction of Awaab’s Law for some time, the way the Government managed the introduction of Phase 1 unnecessarily added to the uncertainty and complexity providers had to grapple with to ensure they were ready to comply. We are disappointed that the final guidance on Awaab’s Law was published so close to when the regulations came into effect. The Government must learn from this for future phases. Social landlords and tenants need a much clearer roadmap or timeline for when the remaining phases of Awaab’s Law will be introduced, and clarity on when official guidance will be provided. (Conclusion, Paragraph 33)

The Government must urgently set and publish the timeline for extending Awaab’s Law to all remaining hazards, so that tenants and social landlords have clarity about when they can expect these new regulations to apply. This should be produced no later than 1st March 2026 to enable social housing providers to factor the relevant costs into their budgets for the next financial year. (Recommendation, Paragraph 34)

Progress at retrofitting social homes needs to accelerate if the sector is going to upgrade the remaining homes up to the required standard by 2030. The Government has not yet provided sufficient clarity to the sector on the funding available for retrofits over the Parliament. (Conclusion, Paragraph 39)

The Government needs to urgently provide the sector with clarity on the funding that will be available over the remainder of this Parliament to help providers deliver the necessary improvements. (Recommendation, Paragraph 40)

High energy costs mean that even tenants living in homes that have undergone energy efficiency improvements can struggle to afford to heat their homes sufficiently. The higher the standard of works, the greater the benefit. While we support the Government’s plans to bring all social homes up to a minimum standard of energy efficiency, people can still live in an EPC C home and be in fuel poverty. (Conclusion, Paragraph 42) 46

In the forthcoming Fuel Poverty Strategy, we recommend that the Government revise the official definition of fuel poverty to reflect the fact that those living in homes compliant with the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard may still struggle to heat their homes sufficiently. (Recommendation, Paragraph 43)

We welcome the Government’s changes to the Decent Homes Standard. The current standard has been out-of-date for some time and is in urgent need of reform, given that it was last updated in 2006. (Conclusion, Paragraph 48)

The Government must introduce a process to periodically review and, if necessary, update the Decent Homes Standard at least every 10 years to ensure it reflects the changing needs of the population, environmental pressures, scientific evidence of the hazards to health from poor housing and societal expectations of what a decent home consists of. (Recommendation, Paragraph 49)

The Government’s long implementation date for the revised Decent Homes Standard eases the burden on providers, but fails to deliver improvements with the urgency that social tenants deserve. Too many tenants will remain in poor quality, unsafe homes for too long under the implementation date that the Government has set. There is also a risk that many homes may fail to meet the revised Decent Homes Standard by the final implementation date. (Conclusion, Paragraph 54)

The Government must put in place interim targets to demonstrate to tenants and the public that progress is being made. We recommend that the Government introduce interim targets stipulating the percentage of social homes that should be upgraded to the revised Decent Homes Standard in each year before the final implementation date. (Recommendation, Paragraph 55) The impact on the supply of social homes

While we welcome the steps the Government has taken to rebuild the sector’s financial capacity, a lot of the extra rental income social landlords receive could be absorbed by the new compliance costs placed on them, thereby limiting their ability to invest in new social homes. Even with the Government’s investment in social homes and the changes to the rent settlement, we concerned that the sector will not have sufficient resources to effectively meet the Government’s new social homes target while also raising standards over the decade. (Conclusion, Paragraph 63) 47

There is a real risk that the costs of new regulatory requirements may lead to an increase in social landlords choosing to sell homes that have reached, or are approaching, the end of their intended lifespan, at a time when social housing is desperately needed. We welcome the changes to the Social and Affordable Homes Programme which will allow funds to be directed to replacing homes that “are no longer fit for purpose, meet the needs of the intended client group, or otherwise in use as social and affordable housing.” This is a useful immediate step to prevent the loss of much-need social housing. However, the Long-term Housing Strategy must set a long-term approach to the regeneration of social homes. (Conclusion, Paragraph 64)

The Government must publish an assessment of the cumulative impact the new regulatory requirements are likely to have on the supply of social homes over the next decade. This assessment should consider how the cumulative costs of the new regulatory requirements are likely to impact the sector’s ability to invest in new supply and the extent to which providers may choose to dispose of social homes that they deem too expensive to bring up to new standards. (Recommendation, Paragraph 65) Supporting social landlords to improve housing conditions

The steps the Government is taking to rebuild the sector’s financial capacity to invest in new and existing homes will help providers to meet new regulatory standards. However, we are concerned that supply chain constraints, workforce shortages and the limited uptake of technologies will mean that providers may not have the necessary capacity and capability to deliver the improvements to social homes that the Government aims to achieve over the next decade. (Conclusion, Paragraph 72)

There is a strong case for the Government to establish a new, modern Decent Homes Programme that supports social landlords to raise the standard of social homes. This programme should consist of: a. a single housing quality framework or strategy that consolidates, and aligns, the regulatory requirements on social landlords. b. a pooled fund that brings together existing funding for improvements to social homes and gives providers greater flexibility. c. local partnerships between local government, social landlords and the private rented sector to address skills and supply chain constraints. (Recommendation, Paragraph 73) 48

It is vital that there are robust measures of redress in place to resolve disputes about the quality of newly built social homes. (Conclusion, Paragraph 76)

In response to this report, the Government must set out the timeframe for creating a statutory, UK-wide New Homes Ombudsman and the details of the mandatory consumer code developers will need to abide by. (Recommendation, Paragraph 77) 49

Much of the evidence we received supports the conclusion that temporary accommodation is often so poor as to be unfit for human habitation. However, the absence of official statistics on the physical condition and quality of temporary accommodation means it is not possible to establish the prevalence and severity of poor conditions across England. The National Plan to End Homelessness does not include a commitment to routinely collect and publish information on the physical condition of temporary accommodation. Without this information, we do not have a robust baseline against which to measure the progress of the government’s efforts to improve the physical quality of temporary accommodation. This lack of official data also limits accountability for public money. The government is spending more than ever on temporary accommodation without a good understanding of the quality of provision this money is paying for. This is not acceptable. (Conclusion, Paragraph 14)

We recommend that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government use the English Housing Survey to routinely collect and publish national data on the quality of all types of temporary accommodation from 2027/28 onwards. (Recommendation, Paragraph 15) Hazards and disrepair

We welcome the Government’s decision to apply the new Decent Homes Standard to temporary accommodation. A national minimum standard covering all temporary accommodation will help to raise the quality of accommodation provided. However, while we recognise the need for an implementation period, we are concerned that the Government has not set interim targets or milestones to make sure the sector is on track to comply with the new standard by 2035. (Conclusion, Paragraph 22) 61

We recommend that the Government set interim targets for the proportion of temporary accommodation that is upgraded to comply with the new Decent Homes Standard before the final implementation date in 2035. These should align with interim targets set for the wider private rented sector. (Recommendation, Paragraph 23)

The government’s plans to extend Awaab’s Law and the Decent Homes Standard to temporary accommodation will provide households with stronger protections against hazards and disrepair. However, while we wait for these reforms, the government should focus on ensuring that the protections that already exist are working effectively. This includes ensuring local authorities are delivering their statutory duty to ensure the suitability of temporary accommodation consistently. (Conclusion, Paragraph 26)

The government must require local authorities to carry-out mandatory inspections before properties are first used as temporary accommodation, ahead of new households moving in and periodically thereafter. As we mentioned in our last report, the government should provide additional funding, in line with the new burdens doctrine, to local authorities to ensure that they can carry out these inspections. (Recommendation, Paragraph 27)

We welcome the government’s intention to apply Awaab’s Law to temporary accommodation. The power to take legal action against their provider for failing to resolve serious hazards in a timely manner will substantially strengthen the protections that exist for people living in temporary accommodation. However, a phased rollout is advisable to give providers time to ensure robust arrangements are in place to investigate and resolve hazards in a timely manner. (Conclusion, Paragraph 28)

The government should begin to rollout Awaab’s Law urgently to ensure the regulations are fully applied to temporary accommodation by the end of 2028/29. By then, legal timescales must be in place covering all applicable significant and emergency hazards covered by the Housing, Health and Safety Rating System. (Recommendation, Paragraph 29) A lack of space

We are deeply concerned about the lack of space provided to some families living in temporary accommodation and the potentially harmful effects this can have on children’s safety, wellbeing and development. The standards used to determine if homes are statutorily overcrowded are out- of-date and do not reflect the harms a lack of space can pose to children. Part of the long-term solution to this is increasing the supply of social housing. However, in the meantime, the government needs to get a better 62 understanding of the extent of overcrowding in temporary accommodation and the negative consequences it has for people, especially children. (Conclusion, Paragraph 37)

The government must require all local authorities funded to carry out local audits to assess, and report on, the suitability of the space provided to households in different types of temporary accommodation and the impact the availability of this space has on children. The government should fund further audits, if necessary, to build its understanding of the prevalence of overcrowding in temporary accommodation and the impact this has on households, especially children. We recommend that the government use the results of these audits to inform a review of the standards used to assess if homes are statutorily overcrowded. (Recommendation, Paragraph 38) Shared facilities

We agree with the government’s decision to prioritise eliminating the unlawful use of B&B accommodation by the end of the Parliament. The government and councils have made good progress at reducing the number of families living in B&B accommodation longer than six weeks. However, to deliver the government’s national target locally, there are risks that councils may resort to increasing their use of out-of-area placements or other shared accommodation that is potentially unsuitable. Such actions risk substituting one set of harms for another. (Conclusion, Paragraph 45)

The government must ensure that there are effective sanctions in place for local authorities who repeatedly breach the six-week limit and who are not taking reasonable steps to eliminate their use of B&Bs by the end of the Parliament. The government should publicly name councils who are unwilling to take reasonable steps to eliminate their unlawful use of B&Bs. The government should introduce safeguards to prevent councils from using out-of-area placements or other types of shared accommodation as a way of meeting the government’s national target. (Recommendation, Paragraph 46)

We remain concerned that the definition of B&B in the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2003 does not prevent families being placed in similar accommodation, without any restrictions on the time local authorities can house them there. We recognise that the availability of support in council-owned or voluntary sector hostels may benefit some households and help them transition back to living independently. These facilities should only be used as emergency 63 accommodation and for short periods, unless there is an exceptional reason for doing so and the risks are effectively managed. (Conclusion, Paragraph 50)

We reiterate our earlier recommendation that the ministry must amend the definition of B&B accommodation in the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2003 to restrict the placement of families in other types of accommodation with shared facilities to a maximum of six weeks. (Recommendation, Paragraph 51)

The ministry must require councils to report publicly on the length of time households remain in such facilities and justify any decision to keep households in these facilities beyond six-weeks. By the end of this year, the ministry must publish a clear 10-year plan to phase out the use of accommodation with shared facilities for families with children. (Recommendation, Paragraph 52)

We remain concerned that there is no explicit rule to prevent or restrict councils from housing families, including single mothers with children, in accommodation where they need to share facilities with single male adults. (Conclusion, Paragraph 55)

The ministry must update the statutory guidance to make clear that placing families in accommodation where the need to share facilities with single male adults is not suitable and should work with councils to bring such placements to an end. (Recommendation, Paragraph 56) Lack of basic facilities and furnishings

It is not acceptable for households in temporary accommodation to be left living for months, if not longer, without access to the basic facilities they need for daily life. The ministry must introduce further measures to improve households’ access to basic facilities, such as kitchens, washing machines and basic furnishings. (Conclusion, Paragraph 63)

We welcome the government’s decision to apply the Decent Homes Standard to temporary accommodation. However, we are concerned that the standard will not guarantee people housed in some types of temporary accommodation access to the basic facilities, such as a kitchen, that they need for daily life. (Conclusion, Paragraph 64)

We recommend that the Secretary of State amend the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) Order 2003 to extend the six-week limit to accommodation that cannot comply with the new Decent Homes Standard. The six-week limit should apply from the date that the new standard comes into force in 2035. The ministry also must require local authorities to report 64 publicly when they have suspended enforcement action or applied hazard awareness notices to ensure properties that do not fully comply with the standard remain a last resort. (Recommendation, Paragraph 65) Complex needs

We are alarmed to hear of people with physical disabilities, medical conditions and other complex needs being placed in accommodation that is unsuitable for them. Part of the solution to this problem is improving the quality of supply available locally. In the short-term, however, this is another reason why mandatory inspections are needed before people are placed in temporary accommodation. (Conclusion, Paragraph 72)

The government must require local authorities to conduct mandatory inspections before placing households in temporary accommodation to determine that the accommodation they have arranged adequately caters for people’s physical and medical needs. The Government should also strengthen the statutory guidance for local authorities on the arrangements that should be put in place to support those with complex needs or who may be more at risk from living in temporary accommodation. (Recommendation, Paragraph 73)

The ministry should require councils to forecast demand for people with complex needs as part of their action plans to highlight where there are gaps in provision and demonstrate how the funds allocated through the Local Authority Housing Fund are being used to fill gaps in available provision. The Government must also require local authorities to ensure that all new temporary accommodation built with these funds meets Part M4 (2) of the Building Regulations. (Recommendation, Paragraph 74)

In response to this report, we request an update on the options the Government is considering to increase the supply of good-quality supported housing, as part of the Chief Secretary of the Treasury’s review. (Recommendation, Paragraph 75) Managing and improving the supply of temporary accommodation

The rules that determine the amount of money councils can claim through the Housing Benefit subsidy system is restricting their ability to source good-quality temporary accommodation for households. The Department for Work and Pension’s ongoing freeze of the subsidy rates is putting an enormous financial strain on councils. The freeze in subsidy rates limits the range of affordable options available to councils and acts as a disincentive 65 for them to enter longer-term leases that could strengthen their ability to raise standards, due to the risk of being exposed to large costs on their general funds. Within a financially constrained environment, we are also concerned that the rates reimbursed for different types of accommodation create an incentive for councils to place households in accommodation with support they may not need. (Conclusion, Paragraph 81)

We recommend that the Department for Work and Pensions unfreeze the subsidy rates by increasing the rate councils are reimbursed to match the current Local Housing Allowance rate. We also recommend that the Government conduct a detailed review of the subsidy rules to ensure they incentivise councils to source good-quality accommodation. (Recommendation, Paragraph 82)

Competition between local authorities and other public bodies drives up the costs of temporary accommodation and restricts the ability of local authorities to raise standards locally. We are pleased that the ministry is working with the Home Office to test ways to reduce competition between public bodies for residential accommodation. However, we are disappointed that the National Plan to End Homelessness did not include a firmer stance on eliminating this unhelpful practice. (Conclusion, Paragraph 86)

In response to this report, the ministry should provide us with an update on the work it is undertaking to test locally-led approaches to reduce competition between public bodies and state when, and how, it intends to roll these out more widely. (Recommendation, Paragraph 87)

We are concerned about councils’ increasing reliance on privately managed, nightly-paid accommodation. This provision is not merely expensive. The use of nightly-paid accommodation limits councils’ ability to raise standards and offers little stability to households who are at risk of being moved at short notice. (Conclusion, Paragraph 90)

The government must require local authorities in their action plans to set out how they plan to reduce their reliance on nightly-paid accommodation and provide updates on their progress. The government should also work with local authorities to understand the barriers that are preventing councils from entering longer-term arrangements with landlords. (Recommendation, Paragraph 91)

We remained concerned the government’s decision to freeze the Local Housing Allowance is contributing to more people being more at risk of homelessness and in need of temporary accommodation. The freeze also makes it difficult for councils to help households find a permanent home they can afford. (Conclusion, Paragraph 93) 66

We recommend that the Government restore the Local Housing Allowance rates to 30th percentile. (Recommendation, Paragraph 94)

We agree with the government that some degree of temporary accommodation will always be needed as a safety net and that this accommodation must provide households who need it with a decent, safe and stable place to live while they find a more permanent home. It is critical that the steps councils are taking to increase the supply are informed by, and consistent with, a more long-term strategy, locally and nationally. (Conclusion, Paragraph 99)

The ministry should require local authorities in their action plans to forecast future demand for temporary accommodation locally and set out a 10- year plan for delivering a sustainable supply of good-quality temporary accommodation that is decent, safe and stable. (Recommendation, Paragraph 100)

We welcome the extra funding the Government has provided through the Local Authority Housing Fund to help councils increase the supply of temporary accommodation. However, boosting the supply of affordable homes, especially social housing, is critical to alleviating the crisis in temporary accommodation. (Conclusion, Paragraph 101)

We recommend that the government set out how they plan to prioritise bids for grant funding through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme, including how they will take into account value for money. (Recommendation, Paragraph 102)

We welcome the efforts that the ministry is taking to improve the physical condition of temporary accommodation. However, if providers choose to sell properties that are too costly to upgrade or try to take advantage of regulatory gaps between tenures, these efforts could adversely impact supply. (Conclusion, Paragraph 105)

Alongside the first update on the progress of the National Plan to End Homelessness, we recommend that the ministry publish an assessment of the cumulative impact the interventions to raise standards could have on the supply of temporary accommodation. (Recommendation, Paragraph 106) 67

We welcome the government’s plans to raise the standard of homes in the privately rented sector over the next decade. While most renters are satisfied with their homes, a substantial minority of private renters are living in homes that are sub-standard. Poor conditions in the private rented sector are symptomatic of the country’s wider housing crisis, especially the lack of social and affordable housing. (Conclusion, Paragraph 27)

We urge the government to publish the long-awaited long-term housing strategy by the end of September 2026. We will be assessing whether the strategy addresses the drivers that contribute to poor housing across the country, including in the private rented sector. (Recommendation, Paragraph 28) Raising standards

We welcome the government’s decision to apply the new Decent Homes Standard to privately rented homes. The government has a difficult balance to strike between the need to deliver better homes to tenants quickly while allowing landlords the time they need to upgrade their homes. Regrettably, the ministry’s impact assessment assumes that landlords are likely to wait until shortly before the standard comes into effect in 2035 before upgrading their properties. With over 1 million privately rented homes estimated to be below the existing Decent Homes Standard, we are concerned that many renters will be waiting a long time for their homes to be improved. The government should establish incentives to encourage landlords to upgrade their homes sooner. (Conclusion, Paragraph 41)

The effectiveness of the government’s plans to apply the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector rests on how effectively local authorities enforce this standard. We are disappointed that the government only plans to place a duty on local authorities to take enforcement action when Criterion A is breached. This fails to provide sufficient additional 80 protection to tenants. A stronger deterrent could act as an incentive for landlords to ensure their properties comply with the new standard. (Conclusion, Paragraph 42)

We recommend that the government place a duty on local authorities to take enforcement action against any breach of the new Decent Homes Standard, not just breaches of Criterion A. This will act as a stronger incentive for landlords to comply. (Recommendation, Paragraph 43)

The new Private Rented Sector Database provides a useful mechanism for landlords to proactively demonstrate that their properties comply with existing and upcoming standards, including the Decent Homes Standard. This is not a substitute for strong, proactive enforcement. However, we are of the view that the database could provide a useful mechanism to drive up standards, especially as the Act includes provisions designed to deter landlords from providing false information. (Conclusion, Paragraph 44)

We recommend that the new Private Rented Sector Database allows private landlords to self-declare that their properties comply with the new Decent Homes Standard at the earliest opportunity. Using the database in this way would allow landlords who already comply to differentiate themselves from their competitors and encourage early adoption among others. To deter landlords from falsely declaring compliance, local authorities should be supported to use their powers to investigate landlords’ self-declarations and take enforcement action against landlords who falsely declare compliance, especially if they do so knowingly and continuously. The database should also provide an easy mechanism for tenants to report self-declarations they suspect are false. (Recommendation, Paragraph 45)

We welcome the government’s decision to introduce stronger minimum energy efficiency standards that private landlords will need to comply with from 2030. This will help to lift households out of fuel poverty and reduce their exposure to the health risks of living in a cold home. Overall, our view that is that the government has taken proportionate steps in the final design that will help ensure the new standard delivers benefits for tenants without adversely impacting supply. However, we are concerned that the effectiveness of the new standard, and the public’s confidence in it, will be undermined if local authorities are not adequately resourced to enforce it. (Conclusion, Paragraph 53)

The government must ensure local authorities are adequately resourced to ensure landlords comply with the new standard. More detail on this is set out in Chapter 5. (Recommendation, Paragraph 54)

We welcome the government’s decision to apply Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector. While landlords are already required to keep their homes free from serious hazards, Awaab’s Law will strengthen this protection 81 by establishing clear timeframes landlords need to meet to make their homes safe. We are disappointed, however, that the government has not yet committed to a clear timeframe for introducing these protections. (Conclusion, Paragraph 61)

We recommend that the government should begin rolling out Awaab’s Law in the private rented sector this year to ensure that these legal protections are fully in place across the private rented sector by the end of 2028/29. (Recommendation, Paragraph 62) Empowering tenants

The abolition of Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 will go long way to give tenants greater confidence to complain about poor housing conditions without the worry that their landlord will evict them. However, tenants are still vulnerable to the risk of a retaliatory rent increase that they cannot afford. With many renters already struggling to afford their rent, retaliatory rent increases could act as a form of economic eviction. We are not currently convinced that stricter measures to stabilise rents would be a proportionate step to mitigate this risk, due to the potential consequences this could have on the supply of affordable properties. (Conclusion, Paragraph 71)

The government’s immediate priority must be to ensure the protections that are in place against above-market rent increases through the First- Tier Tribunal are functioning effectively. Tenants must have confidence that the tribunal will settle challenges quickly and accurately. To support the effectiveness of the First-tier Tribunal, we recommend that: a. the government accelerate the establishment of a new body or mechanism to make initial rent determinations; b. require landlords to include current advertised rents and rent histories on the private rented sector database; and c. conduct an initial review of the performance of the First-Tier Tribunal to be published by 1 May 2027 to assess if these protections are working effectively. (Recommendation, Paragraph 72)

We welcome the creation of a new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman. If implemented well, we are confident that the new ombudsman will provide an effective alternative route for redress. However, the government needs to provide further clarity on how the new ombudsman will interact with other parts of the regulatory system, especially local authorities. (Conclusion, Paragraph 75) 82

In its official response to this report, we request that the government provide more information about how the new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman will interact with local authorities and the courts. (Recommendation, Paragraph 76)

We welcome the creation of a private rented sector database. The private rented sector database provides an opportunity to empower prospective and existing tenants with comprehensive information on the fitness of landlords and the quality of the privately rented homes as well as educate tenants on their rights and enable them to report concerns. While we do not wish to delay the rollout of the database, our view is that the government should be more ambitious on the role this database can play. We would like to see further information and functionalities added over time. (Conclusion, Paragraph 79)

The government must ensure that the private rented sector database includes, as a minimum, information on the condition and accessibility of privately rented properties, including details of previous enforcement actions, and the current rent and rent histories. Following the initial rollout, we recommend that the database is developed to provide tenants with guidance on their legal rights and enable them to report concerns to their local authority. (Recommendation, Paragraph 80)

The government is taking positive steps through the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 to empower tenants. While we support the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, we are concerned too much onus remains on individuals to take action against their landlord, either through to courts or soon by approaching the ombudsman for redress. This approach risks neglecting the most vulnerable tenants, especially those at the lowest end of the market where poor conditions are concentrated and vulnerable tenants who may be targeted by rogue landlords seeking to exploit them. For this reason, we are in favour of stronger, more proactive regulation and enforcement of standards in the private rented sector. This is covered in more detail in Chapter 5. (Conclusion, Paragraph 85)

We are concerned that the effectiveness of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 could be undermined if courts are not ready and sufficiently resourced to cope with the new demands for housing cases. (Conclusion, Paragraph 87)

We recommend that the government publish the metrics it will use to assess whether the courts are coping with the new demands placed on them by the Renters’ Rights Act and regularly report on their progress. (Recommendation, Paragraph 88) 83 Supporting landlords

Most landlords recognise their responsibility to provide tenants with a safe, decent and comfortable home. The government nationally and locally has a role to reduce unintentional non-compliance by educating landlords about their legal responsibilities and supporting them to adopt more professional practices. Nationally, the forthcoming Private Rented Sector Database has the potential to be a useful tool to reduce unintentional non-compliance by providing guidance and training to landlords about their legal responsibilities and encouraging them to undertake works that will ensure their properties meet the required standard. There is also a role for local authorities and strategic authorities to proactively support landlords to ensure their properties meet required standards. (Conclusion, Paragraph 94)

The government must ensure that the private rented sector database provides a useful tool to educate and better inform landlords about their role and responsibilities and encourage them to adopt more professional practices. The database must include information and guidance to landlords on their responsibilities. Over time, the database should be adapted to notify landlords of the introduction of new standards and steps they can take to comply. (Recommendation, Paragraph 95)

The government should provide local authorities and strategic authorities with a ring-fenced portion of the fees from the Private Rented Sector Database to support them to adopt initiatives, such as the Good Landlords Charter, that help tackle unintentional non-compliance among landlords. (Recommendation, Paragraph 96) Regulation and enforcement

We are disappointed to hear a postcode lottery of local authority regulation and enforcement of standards in the private rented sector has persisted for many years. Far too many local authorities are failing to protect tenants and provide a meaningful deterrent against rogue landlords. While local authorities should continue to have discretion over the way they regulate their local private rented markets, the government must do more to ensure councils are held accountable for their performance. (Conclusion, Paragraph 107)

The government must require councils to publish annual reports on the regulation and enforcement of their local private rented markets, including information on their inspection and enforcement activity. Doing so will enable better scrutiny and accountability of local authorities’ activities and responsibilities in each area. (Recommendation, Paragraph 108) 84

We are concerned that many local authorities do not have enough suitability skilled staff to robustly regulate and enforce standards in their private rented markets. If not addressed this problem threatens to undermine the steps the government is taking to raise standards and the effectiveness of other reforms introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act. (Conclusion, Paragraph 113)

The government must conduct and publish a full assessment of the resources and powers currently available to local authorities to regulate and enforce standards in the private rented sector, including the new duties placed on local authorities under the Renters Rights Act. The assessment should consider the resources that will be necessary to allow local authorities to adopt a more proactive approach to regulating standards. (Recommendation, Paragraph 114)

Councils need sustainable, predictable sources of revenue to fund a much- need expansion of regulatory activity. In principle, our view is that the costs of regulating the private rented sector should be borne by all landlords, not just those who breach the law. We fully support the government’s intention to use registration fees from the Private Rented Sector Database as way of funding local authorities’ regulation of the private rented sector, although in practice it is possible that these costs could also be passed on to tenants. It critical that an increase in funding from landlords through fees comes with greater transparency and accountability over local authorities’ performance. (Conclusion, Paragraph 117)

The government must ensure the fees landlords need to pay to register on the Private Rented Sector Database are sufficient to fund a substantial increase in local authority capacity. The government should then use this income to provide an annual ringfenced amount to local authorities to help fund their regulatory activities. (Recommendation, Paragraph 118)

Selective licensing remains a useful tool that local authorities can use to proactively target enforcement activity at areas with the poorest housing conditions. The new Private Rented Sector Database has the potential to complement selective licensing by helping local authorities to target their resources even more effectively at the areas with the poorest housing. More targeted enforcement can help protect the most vulnerable tenants, who may struggle to advocate for themselves and exercise their rights. It is right that local authorities can chose whether to introduce selective licensing schemes. However, we would like to see more local authorities making use of these powers. The government can help by removing barriers that inhibit the uptake and effectiveness of these schemes. (Conclusion, Paragraph 123) 85

We welcome the government’s decision to remove the need for local authorities to seek approval from the Secretary of State before establishing selective licensing schemes. The government needs to go further to remove further barriers that inhibit the uptake and effectiveness of selecting licensing. We recommend that the government should: • extend the maximum length of time for selective licensing schemes to 10 years. Within this period, councils should be required to periodically review their schemes to ensure they remain effective and proportionate. • allow councils to apply to selective licensing schemes regardless of whether the PRS makes up a significant proportion of local housing market or not. • enable local authorities to set licenses conditions that require landlords to make improvements to the physical state of licensed properties. (Recommendation, Paragraph 124) Impact on the supply and affordability of homes

Overall, our view is that the Renters’ Rights Act and other reforms to raise standards constitute a proportionate package of measures that will improve housing conditions for tenants, without having a substantial adverse impact on supply. These reforms need to be a complemented by measures to give greater protections to renters at the lowest end of the market, who are more vulnerable to rent increases and other potential unintended consequences. (Conclusion, Paragraph 136)

We remain of the view that the government should unfreeze the Local Housing Allowance and ensure it matches at least the 30th percentile of market rents to protect households on lower incomes. Doing so will help reduce the risk of rent increases leading to households on the lowest incomes being displaced into poorer accommodation or made homeless. (Recommendation, Paragraph 137) 86