Health and safety
We all have a right to live in good quality housing - homes that are wind and weather tight, warm and fitted with reasonably modern facilities. The Decent Homes Standard sets out a variety of conditions. We encourage all landlords to work to ensure housing in the private sector achieves at least these standards
To be classed as a decent home, a property must meet the following criteria:
Meet the current legal minimum standard for housing
All houses should be free of what are termed 'category one' hazards - those which are most likely to cause an accident and result in serious harm in line with the Housing Health and Safety Rating System
Be in a reasonable state of repair
Key building components should be in good condition. If they are old and in need of repair or replacement, then the property is not decent. Key components include:
- external walls
- the roof and/or chimney
- windows and doors
- central heating boilers, gas fires or storage heaters
- plumbing system
- electrics
Have reasonably modern facilities and services
A house is considered non - decent if it has three or more of the following:
- a kitchen which is 20 years old or more
- a kitchen with inadequate space and layout
- a bathroom which is 30 years old or more
- an inappropriately located bathroom and toilet
- inadequate noise insulation
- inadequate size and layout of common entrance areas if it is in a block of flats
Provide a reasonable degree of warmth
All houses should have efficient heating and effective insulation. It should have one of the following:
- gas or oil programmable central heating
- electric storage heaters
- warm air system
- under-floor system
- programmable LPG/solid fuel central heating
- similarly efficient heating system developed in the future