The consumer standards, the Decent Homes Standard and the Complaint Handling Code.
Regulator expectations
StandardRegulator expectation
Safety and Quality Standard
The Regulator of Social Housing's consumer standard on safe and decent homes. In force from 1 April 2024.
Health and safety: registered providers must take all reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of tenants in their homes and associated communal areas (outcome 1.3.1).
They must identify and meet all legal requirements relating to tenant health and safety (2.2.1), and ensure all required actions arising from legally required health and safety assessments are carried out within appropriate timescales (2.2.2).
Repairs: they must enable repairs issues to be reported easily (2.3.1), set timescales for completion, communicate them to tenants and take appropriate steps to deliver to them (2.3.2), and keep tenants informed (2.3.3).
Data: they must use data from across their records on stock condition, including compliance with health and safety legal requirements and with the Decent Homes Standard (2.1.2).
The same document sets the Transparency, Influence and Accountability, Neighbourhood and Community, and Tenancy Standards. The Transparency standard requires clear, accessible, timely communication that suits tenants' diverse needs.
Decent Homes Standard
StandardIn force
Decent Homes Standard: the current standard
Social homes must meet the standard in section five of the government's Decent Homes guidance, and registered providers must keep them at least to that standard unless the regulator exempts them. Criterion A requires homes to be free of category 1 hazards.
The Safety and Quality Standard requires providers to meet the Decent Homes standard (outcome 1.2.1).
The current standard continues to apply in the social rented sector until the new standard applies.
The new Decent Homes Standard: status of the government review
GOV.UK published the policy statement for a new Decent Homes Standard on 28 January 2026. It applies from 2035 and includes a new damp and mould criterion and a strengthened thermal comfort criterion.
The new standard applies from 2035 to both the social and private rented sectors. GOV.UK says it will direct the Regulator to set a standard requiring registered providers to comply from 1 April 2035.
Criterion E: a home should be free of damp and mould. Homes will be non-decent if a landlord has not remedied damp and mould.
Minimum energy efficiency requirements for social rented homes apply in 2030 and 2039.
GOV.UK says the new criterion is in addition to Awaab's Law, which remains the route to secure urgent action in specific cases.
The policy statement describes the old ten band HHSRS scoring from A to J. Those bands were replaced by three bands from 23 June 2026. Check how the criterion is expressed in the final standard.
Complaint handling
CodeRegulator expectation
Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code
Sets out how landlords must handle complaints, including the stages, response timescales and what to include in responses. It has been statutory since April 2024.
The Code has nine sections: definition, exclusions, accessibility, staff, process, stages, putting things right, self-assessment and scrutiny.
The Ombudsman page covers an annual submission and self-assessment against the Code.
The scrutiny section covers appointing a Member Responsible for Complaints.
The Ombudsman may issue a Complaint Handling Failure Notice if a landlord does not respond within the Code's timescales or otherwise does not follow it.
Source: Housing Ombudsman ServiceJurisdiction: EnglandIn force: 1 April 2024Last checked: 17 October 2026
Housing Ombudsman Spotlight report: damp and mould, it's not a lifestyle
The Ombudsman's October 2021 thematic report on damp and mould. It identifies two systemic issues in its casework and sets out recommendations.
The two systemic issues: over reliance on residents, and lack of overall responsibility for ensuring complaints are resolved.
Four chapters: from reactive to proactive, from inferring blame to taking responsibility, from disrepair claims to resolution, and from complaints to a learning culture.
The Ombudsman page links a follow up report and an open letter to landlords after the inquest into the death of Awaab Ishak.
Source: Housing Ombudsman ServiceJurisdiction: EnglandPublished: 1 October 2021Last checked: 17 October 2026
Version and update log
17 October 2026: First version. Every item checked against its primary source on this date.
General information, not legal advice. Check the primary source before relying on any item, and take advice from a housing lawyer on your own position.
Zaviira Assure helps housing providers record and evidence their work against these duties.
