The government has confirmed plans to extend tougher housing standards into temporary accommodation, including a new national target to end the unlawful use of B&Bs and a consultation on applying Awaab’s Law more widely.
The latest move was set out by homelessness minister Alison McGovern in Parliament, where she said ministers also intend to apply the reformed Decent Homes Standard to temporary accommodation wherever possible and may extend new £7,000 civil penalties beyond the private rented sector.
For landlords, the message is that temporary accommodation is moving closer to the compliance regime now taking shape in the wider PRS. Operators working with councils, or considering that market, face a sharper enforcement backdrop as standards rise and local authority performance comes under closer scrutiny.
Temporary accommodation standards move closer to PRS rules
McGovern said the government will include a national target to eliminate the unlawful use of bed and breakfasts for homeless households and has already set routes to escalate concerns where councils fail to improve conditions.
She told MPs that families with children staying in B&Bs beyond six weeks had fallen 63 percent year on year, while the £950 million Local Authority Housing Fund was helping councils source better temporary homes. But she also made clear that ministers are ready to call out poor local authority performance where standards remain weak.
The next step for landlords is the standards framework itself. The government said accommodation must be free of the most serious category 1 hazards, and local authorities must now explain in their temporary accommodation policies how they will ensure that happens.
Why this matters for landlords now
This matters beyond council-owned or council-leased homes. Many temporary accommodation placements sit inside the wider private housing market, and landlords supplying that stock could face tougher checks on damp, mould and serious hazards if ministers widen the enforcement net.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s report on the late-2026 rollout of the PRS database, which showed how enforcement and data oversight are expanding beyond headline Renters’ Rights Act reforms. The latest statement points to the same direction of travel on standards, especially where vulnerable households are involved.
There is also a benefit angle. McGovern said Local Housing Allowance rates would remain under review, but the 2026/27 freeze remains in place. That leaves councils and landlords dealing with the usual tension between tighter standards and stretched affordability for households reliant on support.
Landlords watching this space should also note that the consultation on extending stronger housing hazard enforcement is landing in a market where councils already have new tools and bigger expectations under the Renters’ Rights Act.
For now, the government has not published the final detail on how far temporary accommodation under licence will be pulled into the same framework as standard private tenancies. But the direction is clear, and landlords supplying local authority-backed housing should treat this as an early warning rather than a distant policy idea.
See the ministerial evidence on the UK Parliament committee page.
What this means for landlords
- If you supply temporary accommodation: review hazard risks, especially damp, mould and overcrowding, before councils start applying tougher standards.
- If you work with local authorities: expect closer scrutiny of suitability, paperwork and response times on complaints.
- Watch for: the consultation on extending Awaab’s Law and further guidance on how the Decent Homes Standard will apply.
- Budget carefully: higher standards without LHA relief could squeeze viability in lower-margin council placements.
- Bottom line: temporary accommodation is being pulled closer to mainstream PRS enforcement, and landlords should prepare early.
Editor’s view
Temporary accommodation has often sat in an awkward gap between homelessness pressure and proper housing standards. That gap is now closing. Landlords working in this part of the market should assume looser practice will become much harder to defend.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 26 June 2026
Sources: UK Parliament, MHCLG
Related reading: Government sets late-2026 PRS database rollout under Renters’ Rights Act
