Recommendation 8

The rate of non-decency in the private rented sector (PRS) is much higher than in the social housing sector, so we welcome the introduction of a legally binding decent homes standard (DHS). The cost to landlords of meeting the new standard could, in some instances, become an obstacle to compliance, but we do not think this point should be overstated. As the Government says, four-fifths of PRS homes already Reforming the Private Rented Sector 59 meet the social housing DHS. Furthermore, since compliance with criterion A (the requirement that all homes be free of category 1 hazards) is already effectively a legal requirement, under the Homes (Fit for Human Habitation) Act 2018, this part of the new DHS would not place a significant additional expectation on landlords, and the Government should feel under no obligation to consider the financial burden on landlords whose properties do not comply.