Decent Homes and HHSRS Compliance Checklist for Private Landlords

Why You Need a Property-Level Compliance File

The Decent Homes Standard is heading for the private rented sector (target 2035). Its five criteria overlap with current obligations, especially HHSRS hazard enforcement and Section 11 repair duties, but the private-sector DHS framework itself is still future.

A property-level compliance file that covers both current duties and incoming requirements means you're not scrambling when the secondary regulations land. Here's what that file should contain.

Safety Certificates (Recurring)

For an EICR with C1, C2, or FI defect codes: remedial works within 28 days. Provide written confirmation of completion to the tenant and council within 28 days of the work.

HHSRS Hazard Check (21 Categories)

Walk the property against the 21 streamlined HHSRS hazard categories. Priority areas for rental properties:

Damp and mould — Check all external walls, corners where external walls meet, areas behind furniture, window reveals, and bathrooms. Any damp/mould scoring Bands A–H automatically fails Decent Homes Criterion E.

Excess cold — Use 21°C in living rooms and 18°C in bedrooms as reference points for reasonable warmth; 270mm loft insulation is a common benchmark.

Fire safety — Smoke detection on every storey, clear escape routes, and fire doors where required for the HMO's layout and licensing conditions.

Electrical hazards — Current EICR with no outstanding C1, C2, or FI defects.

Falls — Child window restrictors where the internal drop exceeds 600mm, guarding is below 1,100mm, the opening is wider than 100mm, and no working restrictor is fitted. Stair handrails secure. No trip hazards in common areas.

Structural stability — No signs of subsidence, wall cracking, or roof structure deterioration.

Ventilation and Thermal Performance

Use these as practical checks against applicable Building Regulations and council guidance, not as one statutory specification for every existing rental.

• Kitchen extract: 30 L/s for a cooker hood extracting outside, or 60 L/s if there is no hood or it does not extract outside
• Bathroom extract fan: 15 L/s minimum
• Background ventilation: adequate provision in habitable rooms; vents present, open, and clear where fitted
• Heating: tenant-programmable system; use 21°C / 18°C as reference points
• Loft insulation: 270mm mineral wool or equivalent
• DPC: intact and not bridged by raised soil or external features

Structural Envelope

• Roof tiles: no missing, slipped, or cracked tiles
• Gutters and downspouts: clear, properly aligned, no leaks
• Render and pointing: no cracks admitting water
• Windows: seals intact, frames sound, trickle vents functional
• External doors: weatherproof, secure

Records and Documentation

Keep for a minimum of 6 years:

• All safety certificates with renewal dates
• Tenant maintenance requests and your acknowledgements (dated)
• Contractor instructions, invoices, and completion reports
• Inspection photographs (timestamped)
• Access request logs
• Tenant sign-offs on completed work

What to Do With This Checklist

Walk each property annually. Document findings. Fix anything that would constitute a Category 1 hazard — that's where the immediate enforcement risk sits. Flag items that would fail Criteria B–E so you can address them before the DHS enforcement date.

The Decent Homes & Awaab's Law Guide expands this into a printable compliance pack with the full HHSRS audit covering all 21 hazards, a hazard workflow log for damp response, and the dated status matrix separating today's duties from future requirements.

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