Select committee: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 17
4th Report – Housing Conditions in the Social Rented Sector
Published 9 Feb 2026
Addressed to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee Housing Conditions in England All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
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
From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, 4th Report – Housing Conditions in the Social Rented Sector (HC 1154), 9 February 2026
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 28 April 2026 (deadline 9 April 2026).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government sets out its five-step plan for a "decade of renewal" in response to the nine recommendations, and on several points (such as interim Decent Homes targets and a periodic review of the standard) points to existing or planned measures rather than adopting the proposal as framed.
- On the Long-Term Housing Strategy, the government says it will publish it "shortly". It confirms a 10-year, £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
- On Awaab's Law, the government gives no timeline for extending it. It says it is undertaking a "test and learn approach before extending the requirements to other hazards" and will develop guidance for phases 2 and 3.
- On reviewing the Decent Homes Standard, the government "recognise[s] that expectations change so there will come a point where a review of the standard is necessary", but sets no 10-year cycle. Landlords have until 2035 to meet the modernised standard.
- On fuel poverty, the government retains the LILEE metric "as the most effective measure of progress to 2030" and introduces a new affordability indicator.