Millions of renters will have to wait almost a decade for “decent” housing as Labor delays its flagship plan to force landlords to improve conditions in their rental properties.
The government announced that decent housing standards – which require landlords in England to provide homes in a reasonable state of repair and free of damp and mold – will not be implemented until 2035, sparking a fierce reaction from MPs, campaigners and renters.
More than a fifth (22%) of private rented homes in England are of substandard quality, according to the UK Housing Survey published at the end of January. This means more than 1 million properties across the country are substandard, a number that has remained stable since 2019.
Tish moved into a flat in Liverpool in 2017 “hoping things would be sorted out during the tenancy”. Instead, she experienced “eight years of murder” as unresolved damp, mold and disrepair left her in poor health and sometimes physically dangerous condition.
Responding to the government’s decision to delay the implementation of decent housing standards, she said: “I think it’s absolutely disgusting.
Mold forms in cupboards at Tish’s Liverpool home (Supplied)
“If landlords knew there was a more robust system out there… they wouldn’t try to pull half the stuff they do”.
The mother’s first warning sign was that the flat roof extension started leaking “as soon as we moved in”. Due to the landlord’s neglect, it eventually collapsed in 2024, flooding the kitchen. “If someone had been down there, they would have died,” Tish said.
During the tenancy, Tish dealt with numerous instances of disrepair, including no railings on the stairs, crumbling stairs, cabinets falling off the walls, and a rusted bathtub.
But one of the most serious problems was the carpet, which she described as having “mold spores that create a pungent odor” and attract rodents.
“Both my health and my daughter’s have been severely compromised by this,” Tish said. “We have breathing problems. Not a day goes by that we don’t feel sick.”
Tish’s Liverpool home fell into disrepair (Supplied)
“My dog went to the vet four times for skin problems and breathing problems,” she added.[My landlord] Knew he would get away with it, and he did. “
Under current rules, private landlords must ensure their properties are free from “category 1” hazards, such as severe mold and disrepair that could lead to ill health or injury. Local authorities can enforce this and impose fines of up to £30,000 (rising to £40,000 in May) for breaches.
Decent housing standards – which already apply to the social rented sector – will further drive this. It requires facilities such as windows and boilers to be in reasonable repair, reasonably modern facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms, and adequate heating.
Adrian Fletcher, 54, moved into his current South East Coast apartment, where he has lived for 11 years, in December 2024 after being served a Section 21 eviction notice. After four months of trying to find a place to live, and facing imminent eviction when his landlord gave him two months’ statutory notice, Adrian could only find a place that was “indescribably horrible”.
He said cupboards and shelves were falling off the walls and there was dampness and mold in almost every room. The worst part, Adrian said, was the spare room, which had “constantly wet walls.”
Mold on Adrian’s bedroom window (Adrian Fletcher)
“You put your hand there and you take it away and you can actually see the moisture on your hand. It’s just that wet,” he said.
Adrian has been using the space to store his belongings, so there are currently a number of cardboard boxes stored inside. To his horror, he recently discovered that a DVD in a plastic case in one of the boxes had been eaten by mold.
He said he was “shocked” by the delayed change: “I understand … it’s not something that’s going to happen overnight. But to put a limit on it for almost 10 years seems absolutely ridiculous.”
Adrian said his lounge had become “extremely cold” as there were no double-glazed windows and one of the walls was damp. “I had to sponge all the windows because of all the condensation,” Adrian said. He added that these conditions exacerbated the chronic pain he suffered from a spinal injury several years ago.
Based on his previous experience, Adrian said he did not want to be too eager to complete the work until he was sure that he would not be issued a Section 21 notice. Controversial “no-fault” eviction rights will be banned from May under Labour’s tenants’ rights bill.
Mold next to Adrian’s bathroom sink (Adrian Fletcher)
RRC spokesman Paul Shanks said: “One in five rented properties in England does not meet the government’s decent housing standards. A range of problems, from damp and mold to faulty boilers and broken windows, plague the lives of millions of renters, many of whom pay dearly for the privilege.
“The government’s lack of urgency has given the green light for negligent landlords to continue to profit from shabby properties, which will have real consequences for the health and wellbeing of millions of tenants. We are asking the government to bring forward the timetable – tenants cannot wait ten years to access these basic protections.”
A spokesman for MHCLG said: “The current rules are clear that landlords need to address the serious issues that exist and, in the worst cases, councils can impose hefty fines on landlords.
“Through the Tenants’ Rights Act and the Awab Act we ensure tenants have safe, decent housing – we are working to extend the Awab Act to private renting and from this winter we will launch a private landlord ombudsman to resolve complaints quickly and fairly.
“Some measures of the Decent Homes Standard, such as updated minimum energy efficiency standards, will be implemented sooner, resulting in cheaper energy bills and warmer homes for tenants.”
