More than 21,000 privately rented homes across Leicestershire are failing to meet minimum standards, new figures have revealed. Almost a third of properties in one part of the county are classified as "non-decent", with all parts of Leicestershire having a number of such homes in their area.

The data, from the government’s housing survey, shows the number of "non-decent" homes in all parts of the country. A classification of "non-decent" means the property is not meeting minimum standards for issues such as safety, comfort and repair.

In Leicestershire, the highest proportion of these homes is found in Melton where almost a third were classified as "non-decent" in 2023. That equates to 31 per cent of privately rented homes in the area.

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A home can be classed as being non-decent for a number of reasons.

  • It does not meet the basic legal health and safety standards for housing

  • It is not in a reasonable state of repair

  • It does not have reasonably modern facilities and services

  • It has insulation or heating that is not effective

Melton Borough Council said it encouraged any private rented sector tenants who are concerned about the standards of their homes to contact them to allow their teams to "carry out assessments and take action as required". A spokesperson added: "We are currently undertaking a review of our resourcing and processes in light of the changes arising from the Renters Reform Bill. We will evaluate all relevant data and insights as part of this process.”

The government figures show "non-decent" homes are not just limited to the county either. In Leicester, 28 per cent of private rents were classed as "non-decent".

A home can be classed as 'non-decent' if it is in a bad state of repair (stock image)

The top three is rounded off by North West Leicestershire where its "non-decent" figure stood at 25 per cent. Councillor Michael Wyatt, the deputy leader and portfolio holder for communities at North West Leicestershire District Council, said: “We have a duty to investigate complaints of privately rented homes that fall under the required standard, and we investigated 113 such housing complaints during 2024.

"If we find homes that are sub-standard, we have a number of actions and powers available to us, ranging from discussions and agreements with landlords, through to legal notices and requiring the landlord to complete work if they want to continue to rent out the property. We would encourage anyone who is renting privately to contact us online or by phone if they wish to make a complaint about the condition of the home they are renting.”

The data also reveals that social rents are far less likely to be classed as "non-decent" than private rents, with the difference visible among the area's top three. In Melton, only 15 per cent of social rents failed to meet decent standards. That is less than half the rate of privately rented homes in the area.

In Leicester, the ratio is 14 per cent compared to 28 per cent for private, and in North West Leicestershire it is 13 per cent compared to 25 per cent for private. All but two council areas in the county - Blaby at 20 per cent and Charnwood at 22 per cent - have a lower proportion of non-decent privately rented homes than in England as a whole.

Proportion of non-decent homes in Leicestershire

Local Authority

Private rented (%)

Social (%)

Melton

31

15

Leicester

28

14

North West Leicestershire

25

13

Harborough

24

12

Hinckley and Bosworth

24

11

Oadby and Wigston

23

10

Charnwood

22

11

Blaby

20

10

Elsewhere, the government figures show that nearly one in four privately rented homes in England - 23 per cent - were classed as “non-decent” in 2023. That includes almost half a million privately rented homes with damp, which is nine per cent of all private rentals in the country.

People living in socially rented houses are much less likely to live in a damp or non-decent house. Only 10 per cent of social rents (around 400,000 homes) were classed as non-decent in 2023, less than half the rate of private rents. Damp was also less prevalent in social rents than private rents, with seven per cent of social homes suffering from damp in 2023.

Blaby has the highest proportion of privately rented properties suffering from damp. Just over a quarter (25 per cent) of private rents in the local authority area were damp, according to the 2023 survey. Oadby and Wigston were close behind with 24 per cent.

Damp and mould is found in many privately rented homes in Leicestershire (stock image)

A spokesperson for Blaby District Council said: "We respond to any complaints received around housing standards and take tenant concerns seriously. The private rented sector within Blaby District is significantly smaller than the national average and the data presented in this report does not reflect our knowledge of the make-up."

Councillor Bill Boulter, chair of the service delivery committee at Oadby and Wigston Borough Council, said: “All residents of the borough should be able to live in a good-quality, safe and warm home, and we are committed to taking steps to deliver this. OWBC currently operates a selective licensing scheme in South Wigston.

"This means that private landlords in the area must provide the council with documents showing their property is safe, such as gas and electrical checks, and information relating to the property’s energy efficiency. Our staff also inspect properties in the selective licensing area to address any further issues, including concerns relating to damp and mould."

Coun Boulter said the borough council needs to hear from people in the private rental sector suffering with damp. He said: “To effectively prevent damp and mould in the private rental sector we need to know about it, so I urge anyone who is suffering with a damp home and is unable to resolve the issue with their landlord to reach out to our Customer Services team.”

Proportion of damp homes in Leicestershire

Local Authority

Private rented (%)

Social (%)

Blaby

25

14

Oadby and Wigston

24

9

Hinckley and Bosworth

20

9

Harborough

18

12

North West Leicestershire

17

9

Charnwood

15

11

Melton

14

13

Leicester

4

6

You can see the proportion of non-decent private and social rents in our interactive map:

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