Landlords support Decent Homes Standard for the PRS

There is strong support for the introduction of a minimum set of property standards for the private rented sector (PRS), research reveals.

Paragon Bank says that six in 10 landlords would support such a move – 34% ‘strongly support’ the measure and 28% express ‘general support’.

However, 8% of landlords are not aware of plans to introduce minimum standards to the PRS.

The Government has consulted on its plan to bring in a Decent Homes Standard for as part of its Renters Reform Bill and the PRS awaits the next steps.

‘Landlords have nothing to fear from a Decent Homes Standard’

Paragon Bank’s managing director of mortgages, Richard Rowntree, said: “The vast majority of landlords have nothing to fear from a Decent Homes Standard as they are providing a good quality home to their tenants already.

“It’s the minority of landlords who don’t meet these standards that are tarnishing the wider reputation of the sector.”

He added: “At Paragon, we employ our own in-house team of surveyors, who assess a rental property to a stringent standard, so we act as a natural barrier to poor quality homes entering the sector.

“Landlords have made great strides in improving the standards of rental property over the past 15 years and they should be celebrated.”

Landlords are frustrated at a lack of action to drive out rogue elements

The research shows that 74% of landlords are frustrated at a lack of action to drive out rogue elements who let sub-standard homes from the sector.

And, as Mr Rowntree highlights, the PRS has experienced a significant improvement in the standard of homes over the past 15 years, correlating with the growth of buy-to-let finance.

In a new report called ‘Raising the standard of privately rented property’, the lender says that in 2008, 44% of homes in the PRS sector were defined as non-decent according to the Government’s English Housing Survey.

Today, that figure is now 23% with the number of good quality homes diluting the presence of poorer stock.

3.3 million homes classed as decent

To underline this change, Paragon says that 1.8 million privately rented homes in 2008 were classed as decent, rising to 3.3 million in 2021 – that’s an 83% increase.

There has also been a reduction in the number of properties classed as non-decent – falling from 1.4 million to 990,000, a 29% reduction.

A Decent Homes Standard was introduced for the social housing sector in 2001, with the proportion of homes that do not meet the Standard reducing from 39% in 2001 to 13% in 2020.

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