The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 has been targeted to drive up standards in rented homes in both social and private sectors.
The recently introduced regulations now empower tenants to hold their landlord, including registered providers such as housing associations accountable if they fail to address home defects without having to rely on their local authority to do so.
This is a power for tenants and does not alter any existing local authority powers.
The Minister is calling on all private landlords renting properties to students to sign up and adapt these codes and will hit out at private landlords who do not fulfil their responsibilities.
Landlords need to face up to their responsibilities to provide safe, suitable and affordable accommodation to students. And providers, too, need to be thinking seriously about how they can help empower students to choose accommodation in the private sector wisely.
Now the time is up for these landlords making a profit from shoddy accommodation. These new regulations make landlords more accountable, helping to improve standards, and students should use their powers to make sure landlords face justice where they’re not fulfilling their responsibilities.
Fact sheet for ARLA Propertymark members
Fact sheet: Homes (Fitness For Human Habitation) Act 2018
This Act replaces Section 8 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (LTA 1985) in England, with the purpose of improving living standards in the private and social rented sectors.
Image attribution: "Chris Skidmore Official MP Portrait" used under CC BY 3.0 / Cropped from original
