Landlords will be required to meet a modernised Decent Homes Standard by 2035 after the government confirmed the rules will apply across both private and social rented housing. The policy sets clearer minimum expectations on repairs, damp and mould remediation, and energy efficiency, while giving rental property owners a long implementation runway.
Decent Homes Standard impact on private landlords
The government confirmed last night that all privately and socially rented homes must comply with the Decent Homes Standard (DHS) by 2035, aligning minimum housing quality rules across the rental sector for the first time.
Under the updated framework, a property will be classed as non-decent if it is not in a reasonable state of repair, lacks core facilities such as a suitably sized kitchen or appropriately located bathroom and WC, or fails to provide adequate protection from external noise.
The revised standard also formalises requirements around damp and mould remediation, thermal comfort and energy efficiency. Homes must meet Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, reinforcing the government’s previously confirmed requirement for privately rented properties to reach EPC band C by 2030.
Government figures show 21 percent of homes in the private rented sector currently fail the Decent Homes benchmark, compared with 10 percent in social housing.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said the reforms were intended to reflect modern expectations, adding that the updated DHS “sets out in plain terms a series of ambitious yet proportionate standards for landlords to adhere to”.
Decent Homes Standard and EPC rules create overlapping compliance pressures
From an investment and compliance perspective, the impact is cumulative rather than isolated. While many of the requirements already exist across housing health, safety and energy regulations, the updated DHS effectively draws them together into a single enforceable benchmark.
Thermal comfort, for example, is now explicitly linked to Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, meaning delays to insulation or heating upgrades could expose properties to compliance issues on multiple fronts. Damp and mould remediation has also been elevated from a reactive health concern to a formal test of whether a home is deemed fit to rent.
The government acknowledged the scale of regulatory change facing the rental sector. Pennycook said ministers were “acutely aware” of the pressures created by new rules and that the 2035 deadline was designed to provide “time and certainty” to plan investment while maintaining housing supply.
For buy-to-let investors, the extended timeline reduces the risk of sudden, forced capital expenditure, but it does not remove the need for long-term asset planning, particularly across older or lower-rated stock.
Industry reaction to Decent Homes Standard reforms for landlords
Landlord bodies broadly welcomed the additional clarity while warning that standards will only be effective if enforcement is properly targeted.
National Residential Landlords Association chief executive Ben Beadle said providing a safe and decent home “should be the top priority for any landlord” and that the proposals offer “much-needed clarity” about what standards should be expected.
However, he cautioned that regulation without enforcement risks penalising responsible operators, noting that many councils lack the staff and resources to pursue rogue landlords or collect existing civil penalties.
Tenant campaign groups were more critical. Generation Rent chief executive Ben Twomey accused the government of allowing landlords to “drag their feet”, while Shelter chief executive Sarah Elliott said millions of renters were being asked to wait too long for basic protections.
Across the private rented sector, the direction of travel is now clear: compliance will be mandatory, even if enforcement capacity continues to vary between local authorities.
Editor’s view
Extending the Decent Homes Standard is less about imposing new obligations and more about removing uncertainty. For professional landlords, the challenge lies in sequencing improvements sensibly alongside EPC upgrades and wider regulatory change. The long deadline offers breathing space, but only to those who plan ahead rather than relying on enforcement lag to buy time.
Author: Editorial team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 29 January 2026
Sources: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; National Residential Landlords Association; Generation Rent; Shelter
Related reading: Landlords face £9,000 repair bill to meet new Decent Homes Standard
