What defines a decent home?
To be defined as “decent”, a home must:
1. Meet the current statutory minimum standard for housing.
Homes that fail to meet this are those containing one or more hazards assessed as serious under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
2. Be in a reasonable state of repair. Homes which fail this are those where either:
- One or more of the key building components are old and, because of their condition, need replacing or major repair
- Two or more of the other building components are old and, because of their condition, need replacing or major repair.
3. Have reasonably modern facilities and service.
Homes that fail to meet this criteria are those that lack three or more of the following:
- Reasonably modern kitchen (20 years old or fewer)
- Kitchen with adequate space and layout
- Reasonably modern bathroom (30 years old or fewer)
- Appropriately located bathroom and WC
- Adequate insulation against external noise (where external noise is a problem)
- Adequate size and layout of common areas for blocks of flats.
4. Provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.
This means that your home must have both effective insulation and efficient heating.