Committee publication · Report · 9 February 2026 · HC 1154

4th Report – Housing Conditions in the Social Rented Sector

From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Government response deadline: 9 April 2026

Summary

This report examines housing conditions in England's social rented sector, finding that while most social homes are adequate, progress on improvements has stalled since the pandemic. Nearly 430,000 social homes fail the Decent Homes Standard. The committee scrutinises the Government's regulatory reforms—including Awaab's Law, minimum energy efficiency standards, and an updated Decent Homes Standard—and warns that competing financial demands may prevent providers from meeting both new standards and the target of 180,000 new social homes by 2036.

Key findings

Just under 430,000 social homes (1 in 10) fail the Decent Homes Standard; progress halted since the pandemic with local authority homes improving by only 1.6% between 2020–24.
Overcrowding affects 365,000 social homes (9%), damp affects 7%, and the Housing Ombudsman's maladministration rate in condition complaints rose from 42% to 74% in four years.
New Decent Homes Standard will not be fully implemented until 2035; committee recommends interim yearly targets to prevent prolonged tenant exposure to poor conditions.
Government aims to retrofit all remaining social homes to minimum energy efficiency by 2030, but high energy prices mean compliant homes may not prevent fuel poverty.
Social landlords face competing pressures: building safety works, decarbonisation, ageing stock (some 1860s properties), and inadequate supply. The Government's £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme target of 180,000 new homes falls short of the 90,000 per year estimated need.

Recommendations

Set interim yearly targets specifying the percentage of social homes to be upgraded to the revised Decent Homes Standard before the 2035 deadline.
In the forthcoming Fuel Poverty Strategy, revise the official definition of fuel poverty to account for households unable to afford to heat homes sufficiently despite meeting minimum energy efficiency standards.
Urgently publish a clear timeline for extending Awaab's Law to all remaining hazards, with a roadmap for phased implementation and official guidance publication dates.
Establish a new modern Decent Homes Programme (mirroring the 2001–2010 initiative) to oversee and support social housing providers in raising quality and safety standards over the next decade.
Develop a Long-Term Housing Strategy that addresses systemic drivers of poor housing quality, including dedicated funding for regeneration and replacement of homes reaching the end of their lifespan.

Tone

Critical

Topics

housing-conditionssocial-housingbuilding-safetyfuel-povertytenant-rights

Key actors

Florence Eshalomi, Matthew Pennycook MP, Housing Ombudsman Service, Regulator of Social Housing, National Housing Federation, Clarion Housing Group, Southwark Council, Peabody / Ian McDermott

Notable line

“It is not acceptable that just under 430,000 social homes still fail to meet even this basic standard.”

Key Quotes

“Most social homes provide tenants with warm, safe and decent places to live. However, progress at bringing social homes up to the Decent Homes Standard has almost ground to a halt, with very little improvement since the pandemic.”
— Committee · Summary of the state of social housing conditions

“We are concerned that this will mean too many tenants remain in poor quality, unsafe homes for too long.”
— Committee · On the 2035 implementation deadline for the new Decent Homes Standard

“… lots of hard to heat homes and building fabric and construction that lends itself to leaks, condensation, damp and mould.”
— Clarion Housing Group · Describing the challenges of maintaining older social housing stock

“£70 million annual investment budget is almost entirely consumed by building and fire safety works for at least the next two to three years.”
— Southwark Council · Illustrating the financial pressure on councils from building safety obligations

“… the sector is part of a wider "ecosystem that is under enormous strain." 73 Systemic pressures …”
— Ian McDermott · On systemic pressures facing social housing providers

“… now serving a customer base featuring a greater proportion of vulnerable individuals or those with greater needs than before. The impact of this means that meeting regulatory and other requirements is harder than it's ever been.”
— VIVID · On changing tenant demographics and rising complexity of provider roles

“… not recording repairs if they took a dislike to the resident who phoned.”
— Housing Ombudsman · Example of unconscious stigma in landlord treatment of tenants

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Source · parliament.uk record ↗