The Decent Home Standard currently applies to all properties within the social housing sector; it is one of the measures that social landlords must report to the Regulator of Social Housing every year.
The Decent Homes Standard (DHS) is a technical standard for social housing introduced by the government.
The government set out a target in 2000 that it would "ensure that all social housing meets set standards of decency by 2010; the standard was updated in 2006 to take account of the Housing Act 2004, including the implementation of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
The Decent Homes Standard also forms a vital part of the Home Standard, one of the five Consumer Standards that apply to social housing landlords.
Homes covered by the Decent Homes Standard
In order to be decent a home should be warm, weatherproof and have reasonably modern facilities. The government has defined a dwelling that meets the 'Decent Homes Standard' as one that:
- Meets the current statutory minimum standard for housing - i.e. it must be free of the most serious (category one) hazards under the Housing, Health and Safety Rating System
- Is in a reasonable state of repair
- Has reasonably modern facilities and services
- Provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort (i.e. it's not too cold).
Our surveyors gather information on the age and condition of components when they visit your home, and we record this in our stock condition database.
We survey our properties to identify and resolve any category one hazards.
We have an investment programme to replace the main components in a property, including roofs, windows, doors, kitchens, bathrooms and boilers. Our stock condition database helps us know where the oldest components are so we can plan to replace them before the condition gets too bad.
Help us to keep your home in good condition
You can help us to keep your home in a good state of repair:
- Report any problems in your home to us so we can fix things before they get worse
- Keep your home clean, tidy and well-ventilated to help prevent some risks and identify others sooner
- Give our surveyors, technical officers and operatives access to your home when they come to inspect or repair it
- If you want to make any improvements to your home, please tell us about it first so we can make sure if meets all the requirements and update our records.
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