Decent Homes Assessment Report Template

What This Report Covers

A Decent Homes assessment report evaluates whether a residential property meets the criteria of the Decent Homes Standard — the UK Government's benchmark for acceptable housing conditions. Originally introduced in 2006 and updated in 2024 to reflect modern expectations, the standard applies primarily to social housing — but is increasingly used by private landlords and local authorities as a benchmark for housing quality. The assessment covers four key criteria — freedom from Category 1 HHSRS hazards, a reasonable state of repair, modern facilities and services, and adequate thermal comfort. AnyInspect's AI-powered template produces a comprehensive, criteria-by-criteria assessment — clearly identifying whether a property passes or fails each element and generating a costed remediation schedule for any deficiencies found.

Key Report Sections

HHSRS Hazard Check — Category 1 Free

The first criterion of the Decent Homes Standard requires that a property is free from Category 1 hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. This section documents a systematic check of all 29 HHSRS hazard categories — from damp and excess cold through to falls, electrical hazards, and fire. Any hazard scoring a Category 1 rating (band A–C) constitutes an automatic Decent Homes failure. AnyInspect's AI assesses each hazard category based on your walkthrough observations — flagging potential Category 1 issues with supporting evidence.

State of Repair Assessment

This section evaluates the condition of key building components — roof structure and covering, external walls, windows and doors, chimneys, central heating systems, plumbing, and electrical installations. A property fails this criterion if one or more key components are old and in need of replacement — or if two or more secondary components are in a similar state. The AI identifies component conditions from your video walkthrough — assessing age, wear, and remaining serviceable life against the standard's thresholds.

Modern Facilities & Services

A decent home must have reasonably modern facilities — defined as a kitchen less than 20 years old, a bathroom less than 30 years old, and adequate provision for noise insulation, size, and layout. This section documents the age and condition of kitchen and bathroom installations — worktops, cupboards, sinks, baths, showers, toilets, and ventilation. A property fails this criterion if it lacks three or more of the specified modern facilities. AnyInspect's AI estimates installation ages from visual cues and your narrated observations.

Thermal Comfort Assessment

The thermal comfort criterion requires that a property has both effective insulation and efficient heating — specifically, cavity wall or loft insulation (as applicable) and a programmable heating system. This section assesses insulation levels throughout the property, heating system type and efficiency, thermostat and programmer provision, and window glazing. It directly links to EPC performance — a property with an EPC rating of F or G is very likely to fail this criterion. AnyInspect captures thermal comfort data during your walkthrough — from boiler specifications to visible insulation.

Overall Decent Homes Pass/Fail

This section provides the definitive assessment — a clear pass or fail determination for each of the four criteria, and an overall Decent Homes pass or fail. It summarises the key findings from each section — giving property managers and housing officers a concise overview of the property's compliance status. AnyInspect's AI aggregates all assessment data to produce this determination automatically — with full transparency about the reasoning behind each pass or fail decision.

Remediation Works Schedule

For any property that fails one or more criteria — this section provides a detailed, costed schedule of remediation works. Each deficiency is linked to a specific Decent Homes criterion — with recommended works, estimated costs, priority ratings, and suggested timeframes for completion. The schedule is designed for direct use in capital programme planning — giving housing associations and local authorities the data they need to budget and prioritise improvement works across their stock.

How AnyInspect Generates This Report

Step 1: Record Your Walkthrough

Open AnyInspect and start a Decent Homes assessment. Walk through the property methodically — exterior first, then room by room. Narrate the condition of the roof, walls, windows, and doors. Inside, describe the kitchen and bathroom installations — estimating their age and noting any defects. Check heating systems, insulation, and glazing. Identify any HHSRS hazards as you go — damp patches, unsafe stairs, inadequate guarding, electrical hazards. The app records everything in a single, continuous walkthrough — no forms, no clipboards, no stopping to write.

Step 2: AI Processes Your Recording

AnyInspect's AI pipeline analyses your recording against all four Decent Homes criteria simultaneously. Deepgram transcribes your narration — capturing component descriptions, condition assessments, and hazard observations. Google Gemini processes the transcript and video frames — evaluating each HHSRS hazard category, assessing component conditions against state of repair thresholds, checking facility ages against modern facilities requirements, and verifying thermal comfort provisions. The AI produces a structured, criteria-by-criteria assessment with supporting evidence for every determination.

Step 3: Review & Generate Your Report

The AI-populated report appears in your dashboard — with pass/fail determinations for each criterion, a comprehensive findings register, and a draft remediation schedule. Review the AI's assessments — verify component conditions, confirm HHSRS hazard ratings, and adjust cost estimates based on local market rates. Generate a professional PDF report that includes the overall pass/fail determination, detailed findings for each criterion, photographic evidence, and the costed remediation schedule — ready for submission to housing managers or local authority officers.

Compliance Standards

Decent Homes Standard (2006, Updated 2024)

The Decent Homes Standard — originally published by the Department for Communities and Local Government — defines the minimum acceptable condition for social housing in England. The 2024 update strengthens requirements around energy efficiency and introduces new expectations for digital connectivity and safety systems. AnyInspect's template reflects the updated standard — incorporating the latest criteria and assessment methodologies.

Housing Act 2004

The Housing Act 2004 introduced the Housing Health and Safety Rating System — which forms the first criterion of the Decent Homes Standard. The Act empowers local authorities to assess housing conditions using a risk-based approach — replacing the previous fitness standard with a more nuanced evaluation of health and safety hazards. HHSRS assessments within AnyInspect's Decent Homes template follow the Act's prescribed methodology.

Building Safety Act 2022

The Building Safety Act — introduced following the Grenfell Tower inquiry — strengthens building safety requirements across the lifecycle of higher-risk buildings. While primarily focused on buildings over 18 metres, its principles of comprehensive risk assessment and transparent documentation are increasingly applied to Decent Homes assessments — particularly for fire safety elements. AnyInspect's template incorporates Building Safety Act considerations where relevant.

Why Use AnyInspect Instead of a Manual Template?

Decent Homes assessments are uniquely complex because they span four distinct criteria — each with its own methodology, thresholds, and failure conditions. Traditional approaches typically involve carrying separate assessment forms for HHSRS hazards, component conditions, facilities, and thermal comfort — resulting in a fragmented, time-consuming process that makes it difficult to see the overall picture. And the remediation schedule — costing and prioritising works across multiple failure categories — is often compiled separately in a spreadsheet, disconnected from the assessment data.

AnyInspect integrates everything into a single workflow. One video walkthrough captures all the data needed for all four criteria — HHSRS hazards, component conditions, facility ages, and thermal comfort provisions. The AI assesses each criterion simultaneously — producing a unified report that clearly shows how each finding maps to a specific Decent Homes requirement. The remediation schedule is generated automatically — with works linked directly to the deficiencies that triggered them.

For housing associations and local authorities managing large portfolios — where hundreds or thousands of properties require assessment — this efficiency gain is transformative. AnyInspect delivers consistent, thorough assessments at scale — with every report structured identically for easy aggregation and capital programme planning.

Related Templates

- HHSRS Assessment Report Template — The first criterion of the Decent Homes Standard — a detailed HHSRS assessment provides deeper analysis of housing health and safety hazards.
- EPC Pre-Assessment Report Template — Thermal comfort assessments within Decent Homes are directly linked to energy performance — an EPC pre-assessment provides complementary data.
- Stock Condition Survey Report Template — Stock condition surveys cover similar building components — often conducted alongside or as an extension of Decent Homes assessments.
- Damp & Mould Inspection Report Template — Damp and mould are both HHSRS hazards and state of repair issues — making damp inspections a natural complement to Decent Homes assessments.