More than one million rented homes don’t meet basic housing standards, according to MPs who claim reforms don’t go far enough to protect tenants.
In a new report, ministers estimate 22% of privately rented homes in England – more than one million properties – fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard.
The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee said changes being introduced through the Renters’ Rights Bill, including banning ‘no-fault’ evictions, are welcome but need to go further.
Currently, too much responsibility falls on tenants to challenge poor conditions by taking action through the courts, councils or a new ombudsman.
The committee said this could leave some of the most vulnerable renters without effective protection, particularly those living in poor quality homes.
Florence Eshalomi MP, chair of the committee, said: ‘More needs to be done to ensure that the new tenants’ rights are enforceable and that landlords play by the rules. Stronger and more proactive regulation and enforcement of standards by local authorities is needed to improve conditions for tenants.’
Government have set a 2035 deadline for landlords to meet the new housing standard, but MPs warned some may delay improvements until they’re forced to make them.
Against this backdrop, the committee called for incentives to encourage landlords to act sooner. It also wants Awaab’s Law, which sets legal deadlines for landlords to fix serious hazards, to be extended to the private rented sector this year.
MPs said housing enforcement is affected by a ‘postcode lottery’, with some councils lacking the staff and resources needed to take action.
They called for an assessment of what local authorities need to enforce standards properly and said fees from the new Private Rented Sector Database should provide dedicated funding for this work.
The committee also urged the government to restore Local Housing Allowance rates so they cover at least the 30th percentile of market rents, saying this would help protect low-income households from being forced out of their homes.
However, MPs did not support rent controls, saying they would not be a ‘proportionate step’ at this stage. Instead, they said the government’s priority should be ensuring the First-tier Tribunal system works effectively for tenants challenging above-market rent increases.
Image: Zoltan Fekeshazy/UnSplash
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