The four criteria of the Decent Homes Standard explained
A property must meet all four criteria to be 'decent': (1) No HHSRS category 1 hazards — damp/mould; excess cold; falling hazards; fire; electrical; entry by intruders; (2) Reasonable state of repair — no building component (roof, walls, windows, boiler, electrics) both old AND in a state requiring replacement; (3) Reasonably modern facilities — kitchen under 20 years and bathroom under 30 years with standard amenities; (4) Reasonable thermal comfort — effective fixed heating in the main living room AND adequate roof/wall insulation (80mm+ loft insulation where accessible).
Enforcement of the Decent Homes Standard in the PRS
Enforcement primarily through HHSRS: local authorities inspect and serve improvement notices or prohibition orders where Decent Homes failures are found. Category 1 hazards are already enforceable (authority must act). Awaab's Law timescales apply from 1 May 2026 for damp/mould: acknowledge within 3 working days; investigate within 14 days; emergency works within 24 hours. Civil penalties up to £30,000 for non-compliance with improvement notices. Emergency Remediation Orders allow councils to carry out works and recharge costs to the landlord.
What landlords need to do — practical steps to meet the Decent Homes Standard
Audit each property: (1) check for HHSRS category 1 hazards — damp, cold, electrical, fire, security; (2) assess state of repair of roof, windows, boiler, electrics; (3) record age and condition of kitchen and bathroom — kitchens pre-2006 and bathrooms pre-1996 trigger assessment; (4) assess heating effectiveness and loft/wall insulation. Plan a phased replacement programme for failing kitchens/bathrooms before enforcement action is initiated — emergency replacement under improvement notice is more costly.
Interaction with other compliance obligations — HHSRS, EPC, Awaab's Law, and MEES
Criterion 1 (category 1 hazards) is the same test as existing HHSRS enforcement — proactive HHSRS risk assessments help identify failures early. Criterion 4 (thermal comfort) overlaps strongly with EPC ratings: F or G properties almost certainly fail; the proposed MEES EPC C requirement for new tenancies by 2030 would largely eliminate Criterion 4 failures. Awaab's Law specifically targets damp/mould — the most common Criterion 1 PRS failure. The Building Safety Act adds structural safety obligations for blocks 18m+ affecting the state-of-repair criterion.