Round up of housing law and news: July 2025
Renters' Rights Bill
The Renters' Rights Bill is currently progressing through Parliament. The government introduced the Bill to reform the private rented sector, including abolishing section 21 and assured shorthold tenancies.
It has now passed through the House of Lords and final amendments are being considered by the House of Commons.
The Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent in autumn 2025 and to become law in 2026.
Learn more about the Bill
Find out what to expect from the Renters' Rights Act and how the Renters' Rights Bill will become law.
Track the progress of the bill and read the latest version on the UK Parliament site.
Legislation
Changes to social housing allocations, habitual residence test, electrical safety.
Social housing allocations for domestic abuse survivors and care leavers
From 10 July 2025, some domestic abuse survivors and care leavers under 25 are exempt from local connection or residence requirements in a local authority's allocation scheme.
The Allocation of Housing (Qualification Criteria for Victims of Domestic Abuse and Care Leavers) (England) Regulations 2025 amend the rules on qualifying persons in section 160ZA of the Housing Act 1996.
Find out more on Shelter Legal: People who qualify for local authority housing.
Eligibility for people leaving a country or territory on UK government advice
From 18 July 2025, people who leave a country or territory following UK government advice or an evacuation are exempt from the habitual residence test. The exemption applies where someone makes a homelessness or housing register application within six months of the government advice or evacuation.
Find out more on Shelter Legal: Habitual residence test for homelessness assistance.
Draft electrical safety regulations laid for social rented sector
The government has published draft regulations to extend minimum electrical safety standards to the social rented sector. If the regulations are approved by Parliament, they will come into force from 1 November 2025 onwards.
Case law
Housing needs assessments, expert medical evidence, HMO licensing.
Challenging a housing needs assessment and personal housing plan
The local authority argued a homeless applicant was wrong to challenge housing needs assessment through judicial review. The authority suggested the applicant should have waited for an offer of accommodation and then requested a section 202 internal review of suitability. The High Court held judicial review was the correct approach, as there was no right to an internal review of the housing needs assessment under section 202 Housing Act 1996. The applicant did not have to wait for an offer of accommodation.
The High Court held that where a homeless applicant needed support to apply to the housing register, it was unreasonable to exclude this from the steps agreed under a personalised housing plan. Steps to secure accommodation through a Part 6 housing allocation could be steps to relieve homelessness.
Consideration of expert medical evidence
When considering suitability of accommodation, the local authority reviewed a psychiatric consultant’s report, which stated that the applicant had clear PTSD symptoms, and GP records which did not contain detailed information about the applicant’s mental health. The authority concluded that the difference between the report and the medical records was too significant, and that the applicant was not homeless or threatened with homelessness.
The County Court held that the medical records were not a sufficient basis to discount the consultant psychiatrist’s opinion. The applicant’s appeal was allowed. The authority could have questioned the consultant psychiatrist, or had the applicant examined by the authorities’ medical advisor or another psychiatrist.
Dervishi v Kensington and Chelsea RLBC [2025] 7 WLUK 258, available on Westlaw and reported on Nearly Legal blog
Website fault deemed reasonable excuse for HMO licensing breach
The First-tier Tribunal ruled that a landlord had a reasonable excuse for managing an unlicensed property because they couldn't obtain a license due to a fault with the local authority's website. The fault occurred from November 2022, so the Tribunal ruled that the landlord was not in breach from this date onwards. The landlord had breached HMO licensing rules from March 2021 until November 2021, but the tenant's application for a rent repayment order was out of time for this period.
News and guidance
Decent Homes Standard, right to buy, and an inquiry into housing conditions.
Decent Homes Standard reform
The government plans to reform the Decent Homes Standard for both social and private rented homes. The consultation sets out the proposed changes to the Decent Homes Standard including a revised definition of disrepair, updated requirements for modern facilities and services and measures to ensure all properties are free from damp and mould.
The consultation closes on 10 September 2025.
Gov.uk: Consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes
Right to buy reform
The government has issued a response to its consultation on right to buy reform. Key proposed legislative changes include extending the eligibility period for being a social tenant from 3 to 10 years, exempting new build properties from the scheme for 35 years and retaining the right to buy receipts for local authorities to use for replacement supplies.
The consultation period has now closed.
Gov.uk: Government response to the consultation on Reforming the Right to Buy
Inquiry into housing conditions
The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has announced an inquiry into housing conditions in the private and social housing sectors in England. The inquiry will examine the prevalence of housing hazards and assess the effectiveness of new measures such as Awaab's Law and the proposed reforms to the Decent Homes Standard.
UK Parliament: Housing conditions in England – Housing Committee launches new inquiry looking at social housing & private rented sectors
Increased legal aid funding
The government has committed to increasing the funding for housing legal aid work by 24% and immigration legal aid work by 30%. This is an overall increase to £20 million a year once fully implemented.
Gov.uk: Government to boost legal aid funding to support those at risk of eviction
Racism and access to social homes
A new report from Shelter reveals the impact of racism and discrimination on black and black mixed heritage people’s access to social homes in England. It covers both historical and current policy barriers, highlights forms of racial discrimination and poorer treatment by housing officers, and addresses issues relating to the quality and suitability of available social homes.
Government and social housing joint plan to fix unsafe social homes
The government has issued a policy paper outlining its commitment to work with social landlords to accelerate remediation of unsafe social homes. This includes £1 billion new funding, a plan that focuses on residents needs and a target to repair 18 million homes by the end of 2029.
Gov.uk: Joint plan to accelerate remediation of social housing
Housing conditions report
The Regulator of Social Housing has released a report setting out its expectations and findings on social landlords' understanding of the condition of their housing stock.
Regulator of Social Housing: Focus Report: Understanding the condition of tenants’ homes - GOV.UK
Leaseholder consultation
The government committed to strengthen leaseholders rights in England and Wales through the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. This consultation seeks views on how to implement the requirements of the Act through secondary legislation.
The consultation closes 26 September 2025.
Gov.uk: Strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services: consultation
Data and trends
Latest homelessness data, ONS rent and house statistics, and findings from the English Housing survey.
12% increase in child homelessness in the last year
Shelter's analysis of the government's new statutory homeless figures highlights the impact on children and families in England. The data shows:
169,050 children are homeless living in temporary accommodation
the number of homeless children has increased by 12% in the last year
nearly half (46%) of London homeless households in temporary accommodation are stuck in out of area accommodation
Gov.uk: Tables on homelessness
Shelter: Another record number of children homeless in temporary accommodation after 12% increase in a year
Statistics on rent and house prices
The Office for National Statistics highlights changes in private rent costs and house prices in the last 12 months. The bulletin details rent prices across the UK by region and by property size. The data shows:
the average monthly private rent in the UK increased by 6.7%
average UK house prices rose by 3.9%
in England, annual private rent inflation was highest in the North East (9.7%) and lowest in Yorkshire and The Humber (3.5%)
Office for National Statistics: Private rent and house prices, UK - Office for National Statistics
Vulnerable households living in damp homes
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the English Housing Survey for 2023 -2024. The report complies evidence of the drivers and impacts of housing quality. The data shows:
3.5 million occupied properties did not meet the Decent Homes Standard
1 million of those households contained vulnerable people
nearly a quarter (24%) of households on a social housing waiting list lived in a non-decent home and 17% lived in homes with damp
Gov.uk: English Housing Survey 2023 to 2024: drivers and impacts of housing quality
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