Decent Homes Standard

As your landlord we have a responsibility to make sure your home is safe, warm and comfortable.

The government sets a quality standard that all social-rented homes must meet. This is called the Decent Homes Standard.

Between 2024 and 2034, we’ve committed to investing at least £142million in upgrading customers’ homes, including installing new kitchens, bathrooms, roofs, windows, doors, heating systems and electric wiring.

The government is currently reviewing the Decent Homes Standard, but you can find all the current details on its website.

In summary the Decent Homes Standard says:

Your home must meet the current statutory minimum standard for housing

This means that your home should not have any hazards that would be considered to be a serious and immediate risk to a person’s health and safety (these is known as a category 1 hazard), and if it does, we should be fixing it as soon as possible.

There are 29 hazards which can be assessed for seriousness under the  Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS):

• Damp and mould growth
• Excess cold
• Excess heat
• Asbestos (and MMF)
• Biocides
• Carbon monoxide and fuel combustion products
• Lead
• Radiation
• Uncombusted fuel gas
• Volatile Organic Compounds
• Domestic hygiene, pests and refuse
• Food safety
• Personal hygiene, sanitation and drainage
• Water supply for domestic purpose
• Falls associated with baths
• Falling on level surfaces
• Falling on stairs and steps
• Falling between levels
• Electrical hazards
• Fire
• Flames, hot surfaces
• Collision and entrapment
• Explosions
• Position and operability of amenities
• Structural collapse and failing elements
• Crowding and space
• Entry by intruders
• Lighting
• Noise

Your home must have reasonably modern facilities and services

According to the guidelines, your home doesn’t meet this standard if it doesn’t have three or more of the following:

• A kitchen that is 20 years old or less
• A kitchen with adequate space and layout
• A bathroom that is 30 years old or less
• An appropriately located bathroom and toilet (for example, these should both be indoors)
• Adequate insulation from outside noise
• Adequate size and layout of shared entrance areas for blocks of flats

Your home must provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort

This means that your home should have an efficient heating system and effective insulation to protect you from excess cold.

Programmable central heating (gas, oil, LPG or solid fuel), electric storage heaters, warm air systems and underfloor heating systems would all be classed as efficient heating.

How do we check that your home is meeting these standards?

To make sure we’re investing in, and improving, our properties at the right time, we collect data on our properties through home condition and energy efficiency surveys which produce energy performance certificates (EPCs). Wherever possible, we now carry out both these surveys at the same time, which means less disruption for customers.

If you think that your home isn’t meeting the Decent Homes Standard and you haven’t already let us know about the issue, please get in touch by calling or sending a WhatsApp to 01225 366000, text us on 07860 027703, or through MyCuro.