This archive article was updated on 16 October 2026. It originally discussed an open consultation; that exercise has finished, and the original publication date should not be mistaken for the date of this update.
The consultation has closed
The government launched its consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard on 2 July 2025. The closing date was subsequently extended to 12 September 2025. The consultation covered social and privately rented housing in England.
The government published its response and policy statement on 28 January 2026. Readers should therefore use the outcome rather than follow the old article's invitation to submit a consultation response.
What the timetable means
The policy statement sets 2035 as the implementation date for the new standard in both sectors. It also distinguishes that timetable from energy-efficiency requirements, whose implementation dates vary by tenure.
The longer implementation period does not suspend duties that already apply. The statement says landlords must continue meeting their existing obligations to keep homes in repair and fit for habitation.
Prepare from evidence about the property
Keep a clear record of condition inspections, reported problems, work instructed and completed repairs. Use those records to identify what needs attention now and what may require longer-term planning.
Do not postpone an existing safety or repair problem simply because a future standard has a later deadline. Equally, avoid treating every proposal from the original consultation as an immediate new requirement. Check the final policy documents and applicable rules for the property before commissioning changes.
This update removes the imported article's unsupported penalty shorthand and its presentation of the consultation as still open.