Landlords support new standards for rented homes

Six out of 10 landlords are in favour of government plans to introduce new minimum standards for rented homes.

A third of landlords said they strongly supported the Decent Homes Standard for properties in the private rented sector, while 28% said they generally supported it, according to research by Paragon Bank.

Only 8% of landlords questioned said they were unaware of the change.

The government has pledged to introduce the Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector as part of the Renters Reform Bill, which will be introduced during the current parliamentary session.

Not only do landlords support the move, but 74% also expressed frustration with the lack of action taken against rogue landlords, saying local authorities should do more to drive out those who let sub-standard homes.

Richard Rowntree, managing director of mortgages at Paragon Bank, said: “The vast majority of landlords have nothing to fear from a Decent Homes Standard as they are providing a good quality home to their tenants already.

“It’s the minority of landlords who don’t meet these standards that are tarnishing the wider reputation of the sector.”

Although the majority of renters live in homes that are safe, the government wants to do more to help the one in five people who live in a property that is considered to be unfit, more than half of which pose a risk to renters’ health and safety.

The proportion of homes that are classed as being non-decent has nearly halved during the past five-years, falling from 44% in 2018 to 23% in 2023, according to the latest English Housing Survey.

Even so, nearly 1 million properties in the private rented sector are still classed as being non-decent.

The Decent Homes Standard requires homes to be in a reasonable state of repair, have reasonably modern facilities and services, and provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.

If homes fall below this standard, renters can have their rent repaid.

The introduction of a Decent Homes Standard is great news for those who rent in the private sector, as it means they will no longer have to put up with sub-standard accommodation.

The move also brings the private rental sector in line with the social one, which has had a Decent Homes Standard since 2001.

The research suggests the majority of landlords are also in favour of the change.

In fact, a separate study conducted by Paragon Bank found that 81% of landlords in the private rented sector upgrade each new property they buy, with 18% spending between £10,000 and £20,000 on improvements and 22% spending more than £25,000.

Around 83% of landlords said they made the changes to ensure they were providing a decent home to their tenants, while 82% said they wanted to make the property more attractive to tenants and 66% hoped to increase the rent they could charge.

Alongside introducing the Decent Homes Standard, the Renters Reform Bill includes a number of measures to protect renters, including ending section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.

Other changes include making it illegal for landlords to have blanket bans on families with children or people receiving benefits, and it will also be easier for renters to have pets.

Arbitrary rent review clauses will be outlawed, and notice periods for rent increases will be doubled. Renters will also have stronger powers to challenge rent rises if they think they are unjustified.

The introduction of the bill will also see all renters moved into a single system of ‘periodic tenancies’, enabling them to leave poor quality housing without remaining liable for the rent, and making it easier for people to move if their circumstances change.

The government claims the changes are the biggest shake up for the private rented sector for 30 years.