The reformed Decent Homes Standard represents the most significant shift in housing regulation for a generation

Confirmed by the government on 28 January 2026, the reformed Decent Homes Standard (DHS) extends the scope of the original standard and introduces new, critical criteria, most notably a dedicated requirement around damp and mould. With full compliance required by 1 April 2035, social landlords need to act now to understand where their stock stands and what investment and remediation is required.

This checklist gives you a structured, property-by-property framework to work through each of the five criteria of the reformed Decent Homes Standard, identify where action is needed, and understand the procurement routes available to help you address any gaps quickly and compliantly.

Against each criterion, we have mapped the most relevant PfH frameworks, Dynamic Purchasing Systems and consultancy services, giving procurement and asset management teams a fast, compliant and cost-effective route to remediation, investment and compliance, without the burden of running a full procurement exercise each time.

Inside this free checklist:

This comprehensive resource covers all five criteria of the reformed Decent Homes Standard, including:

• Criterion A: Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), Category 1 hazards Understand the foundational requirement to eliminate the most severe safety risks across your stock, with checkpoints covering general safety and hazard mitigation across all 29 HHSRS Category 1 hazard types, from damp and mould growth to structural collapse and fire.
• Criterion B: State of repair Work through the updated repair requirements, which now focus solely on the condition of building components rather than age-based criteria, with checkpoints covering key components including roofs, external walls, windows, doors, heating systems and internal fabric.
• Criterion C: Facilities and services Assess whether properties have the core facilities required under the reformed standard, including kitchens, bathrooms and sanitation, as well as the newly confirmed requirements for window restrictors and secure external door locking mechanisms.
• Criterion D: Thermal comfort and energy efficiency Review compliance with the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), with checkpoints covering EPC Band C requirements by 2030 and 2039, heating system functionality, programmability and insulation standards.
• Criterion E: Damp and mould (new criterion) Work through the new dedicated damp and mould criterion, with checkpoints covering visible inspection, HHSRS assessment, ventilation and structural defect mitigation, including guidance on the specific band thresholds that require landlord action.
• The 29 HHSRS Category 1 hazards at a glance A structured overview of all 29 hazard types across physiological requirements, psychological requirements, protection against infection and protection against accidents, with the relevant PfH frameworks and solutions mapped against each group.
• Understanding HHSRS bands and Category 1 thresholds Clear guidance on how hazard scores translate into bands A to J, when mandatory remediation is triggered, and the important exception for damp and mould that requires action at Bands A to H.
• How we can help against each criterion Against every area of the checklist, we have signposted the relevant PfH frameworks, DPS routes and consultancy services to help you move from assessment to action without delay.

Essential for asset management and procurement professionals in the social housing sector

• Housing associations and local authorities responsible for stock condition, planned investment and compliance with the reformed Decent Homes Standard
• Asset management and procurement teams who need a structured framework to assess their stock and identify compliant, cost-effective routes to remediation
• Anyone responsible for damp and mould programmes, planned works, decarbonisation or compliance who needs to understand how the reformed DHS affects their workload and priorities

The 2035 deadline may feel distant, but the scale of assessment, planning and investment required means that a strategic, long-term approach needs to start now. The reformed standard raises the bar on transparency and accountability, and social landlords who can demonstrate structured, evidenced progress will be better placed with regulators, tenants and stakeholders alike.

This checklist has been produced in partnership with Michael Dyson Associates Ltd.

Download your free checklist today. and take the first step towards a structured, compliant approach to the reformed Decent Homes Standard.