The government’s Decent Homes Standard is only concerned with the property itself. Government have set a target to ensure that all social housing meets standards of decency by 2010.
Social housing means homes that are owned by a local authority or a Registered Social Landlord (RSL). Also known as Housing Associations.
A decent home is one that is wind and weather tight, warm and has modern facilities.
A third of all housing currently falls below the decent home standard. Over one and a half million households live in social homes that are not decent.
Decent homes are an essential part of a sustainable community; a home and the environment around it have a major impact on the physical and mental health and well being of those that live there.
Poor housing and poor environments can be contributory factors to areas having bad reputations, and may also contribute to areas becoming unpopular therefore making communities unsustainable.
Enfield council is responsible for ensuring that your home is decent.
This commitment is supported by the Government.
Local authorities have a number of options to bring their housing up to the decent home standard.
These options are shown in more detail under the options appraisal page that can be found on this site.
The decent homes standard should ensure that all social tenants have access to a minimum standard of housing.
Enfield Council will implement the decent home standard by planning investment in the housing stock in consultation with you the tenant any investment will need to be considered whilst taking account of the future demand for the housing in Enfield.
Although the delivery of the Decent Homes Standard is a key priority for the council, it should not STOP Enfield from carrying out other work that currently falls outside of the standard i.e. providing disabled persons adaptations, environmental work to our estates, security or improvements to our homes and/or our communal areas.
Enfield council have to set out in their business plan the investments strategy they consider to be most effective, showing that they have taken tenants wishes into account.
Enfield council may retain some repair responsibilities for leasehold stock or stock held under shared ownership. Such stock is not classified as social housing and therefore the target would not be applicable.
A home will meet the Decent Homes Standards if it:
Meets the minimum Fitness Standard set out in section 604 of the Housing Act 1985 i.e. is fit for human habitation. A home is officially unfit for human habitation if, in the opinion of the council, it fails to meet one or more of these requirements:
Is free from serious disrepair
Is structurally stable
Is free from dampness that could affect health
Has adequate lighting, heating and ventilation
Has an adequate piped supply of wholesome water
Has an effective drainage system
Has suitably located WC for exclusive use of the occupants
Has a bath or shower and wash-hand basin, with hot and cold water
Has a satisfactory facility for preparing and cooking food, including a sink with hot and cold water.
A home will not meet this part of the standard if one or more key building components are old and need replacing; or two or more other building components are old and need replacing.
Building components are the structural parts of a home (wall or roof, e.g. ;) other external elements (roof covering or chimneys) and internal services and amenities (kitchens and heating systems).
Key building components are those which could cause the building to fall down, cause further deterioration, or have other safety implications.
It provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort i.e. comfortable warmth, with efficient heating and effective insulation.
Efficient heating is gas or oil programmable central heating, electric storage heaters, programmable LPG (liquid petroleum Gas) solid fuel central heating or similarly efficient heating system.
Effective insulation for homes with gas or oil programmable heating is at least 50mm loft insulation; homes with LPG or programmable solid fuel central heating need at least 200mm loft insulation. Cavity wall insulation is needed too, if there are cavity walls that can be insulated effectively.
