Decent Homes Standard

If you are concerned about the standard of your housing association or rented property please contact the Environmental Health team:

Telephone: 01353 665555
Email: ContactUs@eastcambs.gov.uk

The Decent Homes Standard is aimed at improving council and housing association homes to bring them all up to a minimum standard. It is currently being proposed that this standard will be applied to the private rented sector in the future.  

To meet the Decent Homes Standard, your council or housing association home must:

• meet the Housing Health and Safety Rating Scheme (HHSRS) minimum safety standards for housing  
• be in a reasonable state of repair
• have reasonably modern facilities and services
• have efficient heating and effective insulation

Your home fails the standard if it does not meet all four criteria. 

Examples of how your home could fail the Decent Homes Standard include if:

• there are hazards in your home such as these identified by Shelter, which include things like persistent damp or a heating or electrical system that is in poor condition
• your bathroom has not been improved in the last 30 years  
• the kitchen has an inadequate layout or not enough space
• it is not warm because of an inefficient heating system or ineffective insulation

The 2014 to 2015 English Housing Survey found that 29% of private rented properties would fail the government’s Decent Homes Standard compared to 14% of social housing.

More information on the Decent Homes Standard is available on the government website.