Property

The new housing rules that could cost UK landlords up to £40,000 – and what it will mean for renters

Staff Writer 5 February 2026 3 min read

On 28 January, the government published its policy statement on the new Decent Homes Standard (DHS). This creates a single, modern quality benchmark for both the social rented sector and, for the first time, the private rented sector.

Commenting on the upcoming changes, legal firm Gowling WLG notes that the DHS will sit alongside the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and Awaab’s Law, forming a stronger and more consistent regulatory framework.

Enforcement begins in 2035, although the timetable for energy efficiency improvements will differ between sectors.

As part of the changes, landlords must meet five core criteria:

Serious hazards – Homes must be free from the most dangerous “category 1” hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
State of repair – A new condition-based test replaces age-related rules. An expanded list of “key components” (including kitchens and bathrooms) must be kept in good repair.
Facilities and services – core services must be present and safe. A new requirement mandates child-resistant window restrictors wherever there is a risk of falls.
Thermal comfort and energy efficiency – stronger standards apply, supported by future Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) and programmable, whole-home heating systems.
Damp and mould – a standalone requirement to prevent and address damp and mould quickly and effectively.

Notably, the old “kitchen/bathroom age” rules disappear. Instead, kitchens and bathrooms become “key components”, raising expectations on quality without setting fixed replacement dates.

Social landlords

Social landlords will continue to be regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH), with the DHS embedded in consumer standards.

Key expectations include:

Robust stock condition data and proactive inspection programmes.
Clear evidence that issues are diagnosed, addressed and resolved, supported by strong audit trails.
A more preventative approach to repairs, particularly for damp, mould and key components.
Planning for whole-home programmable heating and any future SRS MEES requirements.
Transparent reporting and justification for exemptions (such as tenant refusal, physical or planning barriers, or planned regeneration).