From April 2026, new rules will come into effect for social landlords which aim to ensure they ‘take prompt action’ on health hazards. The new requirements, introduced by the Welsh Government, mean social landlords will be expected to investigate and remediate hazards which pose a risk to tenants within specific timescales.
The change follows a number of years in which the safety and condition of social housing has been under the spotlight, and where public concern about the risks associated with damp and mould has been growing.
This article explores the condition of social housing in Wales, the problems some tenants face getting problems resolved, and how the Welsh Government and the wider sector has responded to recent concerns. It draws on findings from a recent Local Government and Housing Committee inquiry into hazardous disrepair in social housing.
Conditions in social housing have been improving
Although there is limited up-to-date data on housing quality, the evidence available suggests that homes in the social housing sector are generally in good condition, particularly in comparison with other tenures.
The latest Welsh Housing Conditions Survey, conducted nearly ten years ago in 2017-18, found that serious hazards were present in around 7% of social homes, compared with 24% of private rented housing and 19% of owner-occupied homes. The Welsh Government has approved plans for a new housing conditions survey which will provide an updated picture, though the first results will not be available until 2028-29.
The Chartered Institute for Environmental Health (CIEH) told the Committee that the introduction of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) in 2002 had resulted in “quite significantly improved conditions” in the social housing stock. Community Housing Cymru (CHC) noted that there was no single authoritative national dataset on housing quality, but they pointed to high levels of compliance with the WHQS and the significant investments in maintenance and repairs being made by housing associations.
Despite this, there was broad agreement amongst witnesses that there has been an increase in reports of damp and mould in recent years. Most attributed this to greater public awareness and an increase in reporting from tenants, following a number of high-profile media stories about damp and mould. However, both Shelter Cymru and CHC argued that the cost-of-living crisis had also played a role, with more families struggling to adequately heat their home as a result of rising heating costs.
Tenants are “really significantly affected” when things go wrong
The Committee heard that an inadequate response to disrepair can cause significant harm to tenants’ health and wellbeing. Public Health Wales cited evidence showing that poor quality housing can contribute to respiratory disease, cardiovascular illness, injuries and poor mental health. TPAS Cymru also highlighted the negative impact of poor housing conditions, stating that tenants had described “living with mould for months, feeling unwell, avoiding using parts of their homes, and feeling embarrassed about their living conditions”.
The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW) told the Committee that tenants’ quality of life is “really significantly affected” when things go wrong. She highlighted incidents from her casework where tenants have had to repeatedly raise issues, either because their landlord has not taken any action or because the repairs work has failed to address the underlying problems.
This was echoed by one of the tenants who shared their experiences of disrepair with the Committee. They described having to repeatedly ask their landlord for repairs, saying:
“The first time I contacted them, they came out straight away, but as the months went on – half the time they wouldn’t turn up. I had to report it multiple times…Towards the end they were coming out every month to wash and paint the walls.”
The Ombudsman suggested they saw particular problems in cases with more complex disrepair issues, and in situations where a tenant has a disability or health condition.
Social landlords have worked to strengthen policies and practice
The Committee heard from a wide range of witnesses that social landlords have changed their approach to hazards and disrepair in recent years.
Community Housing Cymru (CHC) said that incidents including the Grenfell Tower disaster and the death of Awaab Ishak had “sent shockwaves through the sector” and led to a strengthening of policies and practices on tenant safety. An analysis published by the Welsh Government in February 2023 set out ways in which social landlords had changed their approach to damp and mould, and identified some areas of learning.
Third sector organisations and tenant representatives agreed there had been an improvement in approach and culture from social landlords. However, they suggested ongoing work would be needed to ensure consistency across the sector and to rebuild trust with tenants. National Independent Tenant Voice Cymru (NITVC) said there were concerns amongst tenants that some social landlords were responding by “putting a plaster over the cracks”, rather than fixing the underlying problems. Several witnesses, including the Ombudsman and Shelter Cymru, argued there was a need for more proactive action from landlords to identify disrepair issues, particularly in cases where tenants may be reluctant or unable to report problems.
New rules aim to ensure social landlords ‘take prompt action’
In December 2025, the Welsh Government announced it would introduce a new rule through the WHQS requiring social landlords to investigate and remediate certain hazards within specific timescales.
In its written evidence to the Committee, the Welsh Government said the new rule would create greater accountability and transparency, and will give tenants more confidence that their issues will addressed in a timely way.
The new rule has been created through an addendum to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS). All social homes are required to meet and maintain the WHQS.
The rule sets timescales within which social landlords must investigate and remedy certain hazards, depending on the severity of the risk. The following timescales will apply:
- For hazards with an assessed likelihood of imminent harm – investigate within 24 hours, remedy within a further 24 hours.
- For hazards with no assessed likelihood of imminent harm – investigate within 10 working days, remedy within a further 5 working days.
In cases where it is not possible to remedy a hazard within these timescales, social landlords must provide a written summary plan to the tenant within 5 working days.
The new rule applies to all HHSRS (Housing Health and Safety Rating System) hazards, other than overcrowding, which:
- present a potential significant risk to the tenant or occupier; and
- result from building component defects or disrepair within the landlord’s control.
Social landlords will also be required to take into account the circumstances of tenants, including any vulnerabilities, when assessing the risk posed by a reported hazard.
The change was welcomed by witnesses from across the sector. However, there were some concerns from social landlords about the relatively short timeframe for implementation and a lack of guidance on some aspects of the rule. Welsh Government officials said they would be working to gather feedback from the sector to explore whether further changes or guidance would be needed.
Some witnesses also warned against becoming too target-driven, and said there was a need to ensure the rule resulted in positive outcomes for tenants. Shelter Cymru argued there would be “a significant role for proactive regulation” once the new requirements are in place.
The Committee concluded that the new WHQS rule was a welcome change, but that its implementation would need to be carefully monitored to assess whether it is delivering for tenants. It is likely that ongoing work from social housing providers and from a future Welsh Government will be needed to ensure the new rule genuinely improves how disrepair problems are resolved for tenants.
Article by Gwennan Hardy, Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament
