The Renters’ Rights Act will come into force on 1st May

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What tenants need to know about housing standards

Renting a home should provide you with comfort and security and, as a tenant, you have the right to expect certain housing standards regardless of where you live.

If you find yourself facing issues with your rented home, understanding housing standards and your rights will help you navigate the steps you can take to address your concerns. This article should help you do exactly that.

Complaints about housing conditions

If you’re privately renting and having difficulties with your landlord, you have routes to explore for help.

Using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) outlined in the Housing Act 2004, your local council can investigate potential hazards with the legal power to enforce home improvements.

To understand the HHSRS, the different hazard categories and when your local Council must take action, view this article.

Fire protection and escape

For certain types of accommodation, additional escape and fire protection may be required. Accommodation types include:

  • Shared housing
  • Bedsits
  • Self-contained flats
  • Hostels or lodgings

Before making a complaint

If you believe your home has hazards that need repairing, you should first contact your landlord and try to resolve it with them. It’s important you report this promptly because they have a legal responsibility to address these issues.

If you rent through a letting agent, they are likely your first point of contact.

To contact them, you can use the following letter templates. It’s good practice to keep a record of all your communication with your landlord and letting agent.

As a guide, for emergency repairs (like a broken boiler or exposed wiring), allow 24 hours for repair. For non-emergency repairs, allow 28 days.

What to do if informal negotiations don’t work

If your communications with your landlord and/or letting agent don’t lead to your hazards being repaired, you can make a formal complaint to your local council. They have a legal duty to serve a Notice of Intended Entry on the owner(s) of any property they wish to inspect.

Your landlord will then be made aware of the reason for the inspection and potential enforcement action. They must be present during the inspection. Please note that your local councils cannot investigate anonymous complaints.

You can follow the links to your local council complaints page here:

Enforcement policies

Your local council has a duty to ensure living conditions meet reasonable private housing standards. If you need help, you should contact your local council. They can provide services like informal advice, signposting to other resources/help, grants and responding to service requests.

If informal approaches do not work with your landlord, your local council will use enforcement powers to improve your living conditions. They have a duty to ensure you are living in a safe and healthy home.

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