Landlords guide

Landlords Guide to Property Standards intro

Landlords (and their letting agents should they employ one) have a general duty of care to ensure that the accommodation they offer for rent does not have a detrimental effect on the health, safety and welfare of their tenants. All dwellings should also provide a safe and healthy environment for occupants and visitors. The aim of this series of articles is to help landlords to understand what they need to do to meet these obligations, and to provide a guide in plain English to the minimum standards considered acceptable in the private rented sector as set out in the Housing Act 2004.

Landlord guide

The Decent Homes Standard - 1

The Government has set targets for both social housing providers and private sector landlords to improve their properties so that there are increased numbers of 'Decent Homes' in the UK housing stock. The target focuses on vulnerable households, including families with children, and deprived areas. Although this guide incorporates the Decent Homes standard as a baseline for good practice, there is currently no statutory requirement for private sector landlords to meet the standard. However, by meeting the HHSRS statutory requirement landlords will be achieving one element of the Decent Homes standard.