Decent Homes standard
The Decent Homes standard is a Government target to ensure all social housing meets certain standards of decency. This includes all general needs and sheltered properties owned and managed by bpha. A decent home is one that is wind and weather tight, warm and has modern facilities.
How does the Decent Home standard affect me as a resident?
The Decent Homes standard ensures that all social housing residents have access to and should expect a minimum standard of housing.
Work to your home will ensure that it meets this minimum standard, but you may have other priorities and these need to be taken into account. If you do not want work carried out to your home to bring it up to the Decent Homes standard, we may be able to postpone it until you leave your home – unless there is a structural issue or risk of deterioration.
What defines a decent home?
The Decent Homes standard ensures that all social housing residents have access to and should expect a minimum standard of housing.
Work to your home will ensure that it meets this minimum standard, but you may have other priorities and these need to be taken into account. If you do not want work carried out to your home to bring it up to the Decent Homes standard, we may be able to postpone it until you leave your home – unless there is a structural issue or risk of deterioration.
What defines a decent home?
To be defined as “decent”, a home must:
1. Meet the current statutory minimum standard for housing.
Homes that fail to meet this are those containing one or more hazards assessed as serious under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
2. Be in a reasonable state of repair. Homes which fail this are those where either:
- One or more of the key building components are old and, because of their condition, need replacing or major repair
- Two or more of the other building components are old and, because of their condition, need replacing or major repair.
3. Have reasonably modern facilities and service.
Homes that fail to meet this criteria are those that lack three or more of the following:
- Reasonably modern kitchen (20 years old or less)
- Kitchen with adequate space and layout
- Reasonably modern bathroom (30 years old or less)
- Appropriately located bathroom and WC
- Adequate insulation against external noise (where external noise is a problem)
- Adequate size and layout of common areas for blocks of flats.
4. Provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.
This means that your home must have both effective insulation and efficient heating.
