The Decent Homes Standard has always been about more than bricks, mortar, and regulations; it’s about giving people a place they can truly call home and has been a cornerstone of social housing policy for more than two decades. 

When it was introduced in 2000, it transformed the quality of millions of homes, ensuring they were warm, weatherproof, and had modern facilities. The first programme worked in large part because it was funded, and that funding enabled landlords to invest at scale, efficiently, and with lasting impact.

Now, the government is consulting on an updated Decent Homes Standard which will extend to the private rented sector for the first time. Its ambition is welcome: looking after residents’ homes is our number one priority at Peabody. But the proposals also raise questions about cost, practicality and priorities.