New build houses on a sunny day

Category: prs

Results from the most recently published English Housing Survey reveal that housing quality in general and in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) has risen. Meanwhile, reports of Category 1 hazards have decreased.

On a yearly basis, the government collects data on England’s housing stock. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government compiles data from the private, social and owner-occupied sectors.

19% of households were categorised as part of the PRS. As well as the overall amount of PRS properties, the survey also explores trends in the physical condition of all housing.

PRS hazards decline

A Category 1 hazard is defined as a hazard that has potential to cause serious, possibly fatal harm. These hazards go beyond the risks that homeowners would normally expect to take care around, such as steep stairs and electrical equipment.

Fewer Category 1 hazards were found in PRS properties in 2023 compared to previous years. It went down from 14% to 10%, which is a very good sign.

Across all sectors, non-decent and unsafe homes declined over this past decade. More homes meet grades C, B and A on their Energy Performances Certificates, going from 23% of homes to an impressive 52%.

Of course, Labour want to push that figure up to 100% for rental properties by 2030. Whether that will be possible for landlords to achieve remains debatable. Many lean on the side of it not being feasible at all.

Rising damp

The survey returned some more critical feedback for the PRS, however. Damp has become a more widespread issue across the housing industry, with 5% reporting damp or mould related issues, more than previous years.

The PRS saw the highest concentrations of damp and mould at 9%. The social sector had 7% and the owner-occupied sector had 4%.

But, as many private landlords know all too well, damp and mould issues are not always their fault. Mistakes on the tenants’ part, such as drying wet clothes indoors without ventilating the rooms, are often to blame for damp build-up.

The Renters’ Rights Bill is likely making its way into UK law in mere months. New regulations, such as Awaab’s law making a crossover from the social sector to the private sector, will put more of the onus on landlords to fix any damp-related issues that tenants complain about, regardless of who is to blame.