What is a decent home?
This content applies to England only.
Housing laws vary between England and Scotland. Get advice relating to Scotland
All homes must meet the standard for decent homes to be considered habitable. In theory this applies to all housing, but in practice this standard only applies to council and housing association accommodation.
What is a decent home?
A decent home is one that:
- meets the current minimum standard for housing
- is in a reasonable state of repair
- has reasonably modern facilities and services, and
- has ‘a reasonable degree of thermal comfort’ - this means it is reasonably well insulated and can be effectively heated.
What is the current minimum standard for housing?
There is a system used to measure serious problems with housing known as the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). The landlord will need to fix the most serious hazards and minimize the risk from others. This minimum standard for housing requires that there are no serious hazards, for example, something that could cause death or serious injury – like a trip or a fall caused by dangerous stairs, for example.
What is meant by a reasonable state of repair?
A property is not in a reasonable state of repair if:
- one or more key central parts of the building – such as the roof and walls – are old, and need replacing or major repair, or
- two or more non-key parts of the building – such as the kitchen or the electrics – are old, and need replacing or major repair.
What is meant by reasonably modern facilities and services?
To qualify as having reasonably modern facilities and services, the building must not lack three or more of the following:
- a reasonably modern kitchen (20 years old or less)
- a kitchen with adequate space and layout
- a reasonably modern bathroom (30 years old or less)
- an appropriately located bathroom and toilet
- adequate insulation against external noise, and
- an adequate size and layout of common areas for blocks of flats.
What is meant by a reasonable degree of thermal comfort?
This means that the property has both effective insulation and effective heating. This does not mean that all damp and potential cold hazards (ie things that make your property colder) have been removed from the property.
