Labour’s promise to make private rented homes in England fit for habitation will not be enforced for almost a decade, a decision campaigners have described as “absurd”.
The timeline means landlords will have until 2035 to implement a new decent homes standard (DHS) in their properties, which will include “robust standards” to combat disrepair, damp and energy inefficiency.
Paul Shanks, from the Renters’ Reform Coalition, said the government’s “lack of urgency gives landlords the green light to continue profiting from rotten homes, and will have real consequences for the health and wellbeing of millions of tenants”.
“We’re asking the government to bring the timeline forward – renters cannot afford to wait a decade for these basic protections,” he said.
