Environmental health bodies are to press the government on why it omitted plans for a Decent Homes Standard in the Renters (Reform) Bill.

Despite including most of the promised draft legislation, the expected standards were missing and only mentioned in an accompanying press release which explained: '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' this will help deliver the government's Levelling Up mission to halve the number of non-decent rented homes by 2030.'

The standard currently only applies to the social housing sector, outlining that homes must be free from serious health and safety hazards and how landlords must keep homes in a good state of repair so that renters have clean, appropriate, and useable facilities.

The Fairer Private Rented Sector white paper, published last year, suggested this would soon apply to privately rented homes and the government's consultation is apparently still ongoing.

Committed

A Government spokeswoman tells LandlordZONE: 'We remain committed to legislating on the Decent Homes Standard and will do so as soon as possible.'

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health says it will seek to understand the reasons for the delay over the proposal and is urging the government to deliver on decent homes.

Stuart Fairlie (pictured), MD of energy assessor accreditation scheme Elmhurst Energy, believes the vast majority of landlords should already be conforming.

'Private landlords are understandably concerned about the property improvement-related regulatory changes coming their way, but most of these fears are not based on fact.

"It is the lack of clarity around what these [EPC] laws mean that is fuelling their fears about whether they can afford to remain in the private rental sector,' adds Fairlie.