Setting rental home standard vital says homelessness charity
A Government consultation regarding the introduction of a Decent Homes Standard is ongoing
A Wiltshire-based charity says it's vital a standard is set for rental properties in the UK.
Salisbury-based Alabaré, which operates across the South West and Wales, has told Greatest Hits Radio that it often finds people using it's services enjoy better quality accommodation with them than when they move into a privately rented home.
A Government consultation about introducing and enforcing a "Decent Homes Standard" is ongoing, while the Renters' Rights Bill is due back in Parliament in September, ahead of becoming law next year.
The consultation, created by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, says everyone deserves a home and that most landlords take their responsibility to tenants seriously, but a minority let homes that are unsafe or not of a reasonable standard.
It adds: "Poor-quality housing holds people back and prevents neighbourhoods from thriving. Damp, cold homes can make people ill, cause respiratory conditions in older people and asthma and infections in children.
"The private rented sector is diverse, so it is essential that any new standard meets the varied needs of tenants and landlords. It is also important to understand the impacts the Standard may have on the market, to mitigate any potential risks."
Naomi Webb, Head of Homelessness Services for Alabaré, says they take great pride in delivering quality accommodation for people needing their support.
"What that does mean is our residents are experiencing quality level of accommodation when it goes to move on and they're being offered accommodation through the housing register or through the private rented sector, there's a huge decline in the in the standard that they're going into," she said.
Naomi added that it's hard to manage expectations for people who are hoping to continue rebuilding their lives, saying it's a challenge not just for the charity, but for Wiltshire Council, to move people through their services.
The charity is continuing it's urge for the Government to introduce the Renters' Reform Bill, which will abolish no-fault evictions, sooner.
Naomi said it's a "great concern" that a third of tenants in the South West are dealing with mould and damp in homes, while a fifth have faced eviction in the past year.
She said it's piling on pressure during a housing crisis, while impacting long-term health and wellbeing of people renting homes.
There is a worry that the new bill could see a spike in landlords lawfully evicting tenants with a section 21 notice, further increasing the strain on the housing system.