Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018
2018 c. 34 · 2 provisionsView on legislation.gov.uk
An Act to amend the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 to require that residential rented accommodation is provided and maintained in a state of fitness for human habitation; and for connected purposes.
Our take on Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018
Before this Act, the old duty to keep a rented home fit to live in covered only homes with tiny rents, so it protected almost nobody. Most English tenancies of under 7 years now carry a promise that the home is fit to live in throughout, and you can take your landlord to court yourself for compensation and an order to do the works. We think its value lies in damp and mould caused by poor design, which the ordinary repair duty often misses. It sets no deadlines, though. Awaab's Law timescales still bind only social landlords, and the Decent Homes Standard is not due for private lets until 2035.
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Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.