Surge In Council Homes That Are Unsafe Or Need Repairs

More than 40 per cent of council homes in one part of England are not fit to live in. The latest government figures reveal that at least 76,814 properties owned by councils in England failed to meet the Decent Homes Standard at the end of March 2020. A “non-decent” home is one which fails to meet the statutory safety standards, is not warm enough, is run down or has facilities which are too old. Typically this means they have problems with damp, mould or faulty heating, which can have a significant impact on tenants' physical and mental health. Read more on the Daily Mirror website.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-tens/surge-council-homes-unsafe-need-23491144

2 Million Over-55s Live In Dangerous Homes

More than 2 million people aged over 55 live in homes that endanger their health, according to a report, with older homeowners who cannot afford to maintain their home most at risk. Accidents and illnesses caused by dangerous homes cost the NHS £1.4bn a year, according to Home and Dry, a report by the Centre for Ageing Better and Care & Repair England based on analysis of the English Household Survey. The average non-decent home could be brought up to a decent standard for £2,866. A third of homes could be repaired for less than £1,000. But previous funding to address the problem has been withdrawn, the report says. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/05/2-million-over-55s-live-in-dangerous-homes-say-charities

10 Million People Living In ‘Non-Decent’ Homes Across England

An estimated 10 million people across England will spend this Christmas in a home classed as ‘non-decent’, according to new research by the Centre for Ageing Better and Care & Repair England. The report finds that there are 4.3m non-decent homes in England, almost half of which are lived in by someone over the age of 55. According to the report, the most common reason for homes to be classed as ‘non-decent’ is the presence of a serious hazard that poses a risk to the occupant’s health or safety, such as excess cold or a fall hazard. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/10-million-people-living-in-non-decent-homes-across-england/

PRS Housing Quality Has Improved Over Past Decade

Landlords’ spending on refurbishment has seen the quality of PRS properties improve in the last decade, a report says. According to InterBay Commercial – part of OneSavings Bank –  the proportion of non-decent homes in PRS fell from 44% to 24.5% over that period. In spite of the sector growing by 45% over the period, adding 1.5m homes, Interbay’s analysis suggests the number of non-decent homes has fallen in absolute terms too; down by 275,000. Read more on the InterBay website.

https://www.interbay.co.uk/latest-updates/unlocking-value-the-role-of-refurbishment-in-buy-to-let