Five criteria, five tests
The government’s new Decent Homes Standard policy statement describes a revised five-criterion framework for England and a 2035 implementation direction. Treat this as the published future standard, not a claim that its full framework is already the current test for every rented home.
Check current duties, tenure, implementation arrangements and the applicable assessment guidance. Ovrsite does not assign a legal pass or fail.
Criterion A: free from serious hazards
The policy retains a relationship with housing health and safety hazards. External condition may be relevant to an investigation, but a crack, damp mark or thermal anomaly does not by itself establish a hazard category. Assessment must consider the home and the relevant circumstances.
Criterion B: in a reasonable state of repair
A condition record should distinguish observed component condition, unobserved areas and further investigation. Use the official component definitions and assessment rules rather than inferring a pass or fail from a finding count.
Roof and upper-elevation imagery may help fill particular visibility gaps. It does not replace the assessment of other components or prove concealed construction is satisfactory.
Criterion D: reasonable thermal comfort
Thermal comfort and energy-efficiency requirements need to be considered under the applicable standard and sector-specific framework. Do not use one EPC deadline or metric for both social and private rented homes without checking the relevant rules.
Thermal patterns can help identify questions about fabric performance. They do not measure an EPC rating or establish insulation condition without interpretation and, where needed, further investigation.
Criterion E: free from damp and mould
The future policy includes a separate damp and mould criterion. Use its published definition and implementation arrangements; do not substitute an assumed current pass/fail rule.
Damp and mould can have several contributing causes. External condition evidence can inform investigation alongside internal observations and other relevant information; it does not establish the cause by itself.
Which criteria need building condition evidence
External records may contribute to repair, moisture and fabric-performance questions. Their value depends on the actual scope and quality of the evidence, not on a claimed percentage of the standard covered.
Record what was seen, what was not seen and which assessment remains outstanding. A shared block exterior record does not replace assessment of individual homes.
The connection to Awaab's Law and the golden thread
These frameworks have different purposes, scopes and timing. Awaab’s Law addresses prescribed hazard response in the relevant rented sector; golden-thread requirements concern information held by responsible dutyholders for buildings in scope.
Relevant evidence may be used in more than one workflow. Do not assume the same record automatically discharges each obligation. The responsible team must check applicability and completeness separately.
How building condition intelligence supports compliance
Ovrsite provides building intelligence to support decisions, not compliance certification. Agreed visual and thermal capture, AI-assisted identification and human review can produce evidence-linked findings with recorded limitations.
Use comparable repeat observations to inform review, with scope and conditions visible. Specialist assessment may be required to establish cause, specify repairs or confirm completed works.
Timeline: what to do now
Read the current duties alongside the published future policy. Avoid using the future implementation date as a reason to defer action on existing hazards or repair responsibilities.
Review gaps in the available condition record, identify who will investigate them and connect proposed works to planning assumptions. Confirm tenure-specific energy requirements and hazard-response duties from their own current guidance.
Use external evidence alongside the wider assessment:
| Question | External evidence can contribute | Further assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Component condition | Visible condition in captured areas | Unobserved and concealed components |
| Moisture concerns | Visible signs and thermal patterns | Cause and appropriate response |
| Fabric performance | Areas that warrant investigation | Energy assessment and intervention design |
Got a question about this?
Talk to the team about the evidence you need.
Questions, answered
Does the new Decent Homes Standard apply to the private rented sector?
The published future policy describes an extension to private rented homes in England. Check implementation and current duties separately; do not treat the future framework as already fully in force.
What happens if a home fails only one criterion?
Use the assessment rules for the applicable standard and date. A drone observation or finding count is not a Decent Homes pass/fail assessment.
How does Criterion B interact with planned maintenance?
Keep current observed condition separate from proposed work. A planned replacement is not evidence that work has been completed or that the component now meets the relevant requirements.
Does an EPC assessment satisfy Criterion D?
An EPC and the Decent Homes assessment are not interchangeable. Check the relevant criterion and energy framework; specialist input may be needed to understand the measures required.
How does the damp criterion differ from the HHSRS assessment?
The future policy describes a separate damp and mould criterion. Apply its published definition and timing alongside the relevant hazard-assessment framework rather than inferring one result from the other.
Do I need to inspect every home individually?
A block-level exterior record can contribute evidence about shared elements. It does not replace the property-level condition assessment or internal information required under the applicable framework.
See it on your estate.
Discuss the questions you need to answer about your estate. We can agree a suitable evidence-capture scope and show how findings connect to decisions in Ovrsite Enterprise.