Private renters in MK left waiting until 2035 for decent homes

The Decent Homes Standard is meant to ensure that rented homes are safe, warm and properly maintained. This includes tackling issues like damp and mould, broken heating, unsafe electrics and poor insultation. But despite promises made to private renters, the Labour Government has confirmed that these standards won’t actually be enforced for another nine years.

With more than 20,000 private renters across the city, the delay means residents continuing to live in cold, damp or unsafe conditions. Paying high energy bills and struggling to get landlords to carry out basic repairs.

Lib Dem councillors say this decision completely undermines the progress promised under the Renters’ Rights Act and leaves renters with rights that exist on paper but not in reality.

Spokesperson for Housing, Councillor Clare Tevlin, said:

“This is a real kick in the teeth for private renters. Residents across the city were promised decent and safe homes. But instead, they’ve been told to wait until 2035. This means more years of damp, mould, cold homes and repairs being ignored.”

She added:

“For private renters, this isn’t about policy or paperwork, it’s about day-to-day life. It’s about raising children in unhealthy homes, older residents living in the cold, and renters paying more and more for homes that aren’t good enough. We’ll continue to push for these standards to be enforced much sooner so local people get the decent homes they were promised.”

Milton Keynes Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to bring forward enforcement of the Decent Homes Standard and to give the City Council more power to take action on poor quality housing now.