Fury as landlords given decade to bring properties up to scratch

Labour’s promise to make private rented homes in England fit for habitation will not be enforced for almost a decade - a timeline described as “absurd” by campaigners.

- Jessica Murray

Landlords will have until 2035 to implement a new decent homes standard (DHS), which will include “robust” rules to combat disrepair, damp and energy inefficiency.

The government yesterday published its plans for a reformed DHS for social rented homes as well as one for the private rented sector.

The housing minister, Matthew Pennycook, said the timeline would give social landlords in particular the time and the certainty they needed to boost the housing supply.

But Ben Twomey, the chief executive of Generation Rent, said: “It is absurd to let landlords drag their feet for an entire decade, denying renters the most basic standards in our homes. It will mean millions of renters, including children, trapped living in poor-quality homes.”

The campaign group had pushed for a deadline of 2030 for the new standard, which was promised under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.