Number of non-decent homes by tenure
About 2 mins
Key points
- 3.8 million homes in England were classed as non-decent in 2023. This is a decrease of 3.9 million since 2006, when 7.7 million homes were classed as non-decent.
- There has been a 56% reduction (3 million fewer) in the number of non-decent owner-occupied homes; a 62% reduction in non-decent social rented homes (0.7 million fewer); but only a 16% reduction in private rented non-decent homes (0.2 million fewer).
Non-decent housing can directly affect a person’s health. A non-decent home is one with a hazard or immediate threat to a person’s health, not in a reasonable state of repair, lacking modern facilities or not effectively insulated or heated. For instance, poor insulation can lead to cold and damp homes, which are associated with a range of health problems. A non-decent home can also have hazards that can cause injuries, such as faulty wiring or trip hazards.
This chart shows how the number of non-decent homes by tenure has changed over time in England.
- The number of homes classed as non-decent has fallen by 3.9 million since 2006, largely due to improvements in owner-occupied housing. The change in the number of non-decent private and social rented homes has been much smaller.
- The biggest improvement in the number of non-decent homes has been in owner-occupied households, with 3.1 million fewer homes being classed as non-decent – a 56% reduction since 2006.
- The number of non-decent homes in the social rented sector has fallen by over half from 2006 to 2023, with 0.7 million fewer non-decent homes – a 62% reduction since 2006.
The number of non-decent private rented homes has fallen slightly from 1.2 to 1 million over this period – a 16% reduction since 2006.
- Non-decent homes are defined as those with a Category 1 hazard – as assessed by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) – that are not in a reasonable state of repair, lack reasonably modern facilities or are not warm enough (do not provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort).
- The data presented above includes vacant dwellings.
Source: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, English Housing Survey, England, 2023–24
