Rented accommodation improving in quality

Housing conditions are continuing to improve throughout the UK with 73 per cent of homes now meeting the government''s Decent Homes standard, according to a new report.

Some 17,000 were inspected from April 2004 to March 2006 by the English Home Condition Survey and results show that the number of homes failing to meet the standard has dropped from six million to three million.

It seems that privately rented accommodation fares the worst while owner occupied homes reaches the highest standards.

Adam Sampson, from housing charity Shelter, said: "The government is to be congratulated on reducing the amount of non-decent homes by one third, but there is still much to be done if they are serious about tackling bad housing."

One in seven children in Britain suffers in bad housing with 41 per cent of all privately rented accommodation deemed to be poor in quality.

It is mainly thermal comfort on which houses fail although others are deemed unfit for purpose, in poor repair or lacking modern facilities.


© Adfero Ltd