Decent Homes Standards

At Anchor, we want people to live in safe, warm, comfortable and well-maintained homes. We regularly assess the condition of our homes, complete safety inspections, carry out repairs and invest in planned improvements to help ensure our homes continue to meet required standards and respond to residents' needs.

This page explains the Decent Homes Standard that applies to our social rent homes, and how we use information about our properties to plan future improvements.

Decent Homes Standard

The Decent Homes Standard is a quality standard set by the Government for social rented housing.

A home meets the Decent Homes Standard when it:

• meets the current minimum legal standard for housing;
• is in a reasonable state of repair;
• has reasonably modern facilities and services; and
• provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.

We monitor our rented homes against the Decent Homes Standard and report our performance to the Regulator of Social Housing. We also publish information about our performance through our Tenant Satisfaction Measures.

How we assess our homes

We carry out stock condition surveys on a rolling basis to understand the condition of our homes and communal areas. These surveys help us understand the age, condition and expected replacement dates of key building components, such as roofs, windows, kitchens, bathrooms, heating systems and electrical systems.  When we carry out a stock condition survey, it includes assessment of any hazards and the safety of the home according to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).

Alongside condition surveys, we use information from repairs, safety inspections, energy assessments, complaints and resident feedback to build a picture of how our homes are performing and where improvements are needed.

Damp, mould and other hazards

We know that some housing issues require a rapid response and cannot wait for inclusion within a future planned maintenance programme.

We investigate reports of damp and mould, as well as other hazards that could affect residents' health or safety. Where hazards are identified, we assess the risk and take appropriate action through our repairs, compliance and planned investment programmes.

We have processes in place to respond to our obligations under Awaab's Law and use the information we gather from inspections, repairs and resident reports to identify and address issues as quickly as possible. Maintaining safe homes and preventing serious hazards is a key part of our approach to meeting housing standards.

Planned investment in our homes

We also carry out planned investment works to maintain and improve our homes.

These programmes may include replacing building components such as kitchens, bathrooms, roofs, windows, heating systems and communal facilities where needed.

We maintain long-term investment forecasts and regularly review them as new information becomes available. This helps us understand future investment needs and make informed decisions about where resources should be prioritised.

You can find more information about our approach on our How we invest in our homes page.

Preparing for future standards

Alongside the current Decent Homes Standard, the Government is introducing changes through Awaab's Law and an updated Decent Homes Standard. These changes place greater emphasis on health and safety hazards, damp and mould, energy efficiency and the overall condition of homes.

We are actively preparing for future regulatory requirements relating to issues such as damp and mould, building safety and energy efficiency by keeping emerging requirements under review, collecting inormaton about the condition of our homes, and using information from our homes to understand how to respond to meet future standards.

Listening to residents

Resident feedback is an important part of how we plan and improve our services.

We gather feedback through surveys, resident groups, complaints, involvement activities and other engagement channels. This information helps us understand residents' priorities and shape our approach to maintenance and investment.

Where planned works affect residents, we provide information about the work being proposed and support residents throughout delivery.

Concerns about the condition of your home

If your home needs a repair, please use our repairs reporting service.

If you have concerns about the condition, safety or quality of your home, including damp and mould, you can contact us email us at [email protected] and we will investigate the issue and explain what action will be taken.