Inventory clerks can help landlords avoid fines under the Renters (Reform) Bill

The Renters (Reform Bill), which aims to improve the quality and safety of rental properties, could impose heavy fines on landlords who fail to comply with the Decent Homes Standard.

However, inventory clerks could play a key role in helping landlords avoid such penalties by providing professional inspections and reports.

That’s the view of Nick Lyons, the managing director of inventory and property inspection firm, NoLettingGo.

He says the Bill, which is currently awaiting its second reading in the Commons, proposes to extend the Decent Homes Standard – already implemented in social housing – to the private rented sector (PRS).

The standard requires that homes are free from health and safety hazards, in a good state of repair, have appropriate facilities and are sufficiently warm.

‘Professionally monitoring the condition of a property’

Mr Lyons said: “The task of professionally monitoring the condition of a property is tailor-made for inventory clerks.

“We already undertake pre-tenancy, mid-term and end of tenancy checks and deliver a professional report on what we find.”

He added: “Extending this service to include an assessment of a ‘Decent Standard’ would be a logical addition.”

According to the 2021 English Housing Survey, 23% of homes in the PRS were estimated to be ‘non decent’.

Plans to introduce a landlords’ Property Portal

The Renters (Reform) Bill also plans to introduce a landlords’ Property Portal, where landlords will have to register their properties and declare that they meet the Decent Homes Standard.

Landlords who make a false declaration could face fines of up to £30,000.

When the bill was introduced, Housing Secretary Michael Gove said: “The government will also bring forward legislation as part of the bill to apply the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time, giving renters safer, higher quality homes and remove the blight of poor-quality homes in local communities.

“This will help deliver the government’s Levelling Up mission to halve the number of non-decent rented homes by 2030.”

How the standard would apply to the PRS

However, a detailed proposal on how the standard would apply to the PRS was not included in the draft legislation and the government said it would set out its next steps ‘in due course’ – possibly as amendments to the Bill as it progresses through Parliament.

Mr Lyons said: “Even though some of the finer details are yet to be worked out, you can see the government wants to introduce more regulation and minimum standards into the PRS – from measures combating damp and mould to minimum energy efficiency standards.

“There is a ready-made role here for inventory clerks – who already provide professional reports to lettings agents and landlords – to safeguard landlords by alerting them to potential problems before they become serious issues in danger of falling foul of the law.”

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