social housing

Sheet vinyl floors from IVC Commercial provide social housing with a flooring option that’s suitable for more than just bathrooms and kitchens.

A growing number of social housing providers are stepping beyond regulation to consider the positive impact of providing suitable floor coverings throughout the home. With measurable positive impact on tenants, the move towards provision above current standards suggests a new way of thinking about social housing that places greater emphasis on wellbeing.

With the recent announcement that the revised Decent Homes Standard for England will not mandate floor coverings in all rooms of social housing, Beauflor asks whether the provision of flooring for tenants should really be a postcode lottery.

While some forward-thinking social housing providers in England are including floor coverings throughout the homes they let, many others are still stripping out the attempts of previous tenants to improve the standard of their home and welcoming new tenants with bare floors. Unsurprisingly, these bare floors put tenants under financial strain to put right, or they are simply left living and sleeping in a home that has a negative impact on their well-being. 

Across the UK, over 5.1 million households* rely on social housing, and for housing providers, ensuring these homes are safe, warm, efficient and compliant has never been more challenging. Rising energy costs, damp and mould concerns, decarbonisation pressures, and tighter regulation all place increasing responsibility on landlords to deliver high performing heating systems that support resident wellbeing.

On 27th October 2025, Awaab’s Law came into force, requiring social landlords to investigate and address damp and mould hazards within strict timescales. The law is named after Awaab Ishak, the two-year-old who tragically died in 2020 following prolonged exposure to mould in his family home. His story has become a rallying point for change across the sector, and the legislation now represents a defining moment for social housing.

Awareness of the potential health problems caused by lead in the water supply, particularly in infants and children, is growing.  In redevelopment of properties the quality of the water supply pipe should be you first priority. 

IVC Commercial’s affordable flooring solutions for public areas in social housing deliver durability and homely design.

With its Pionieer 70 and Isafe 70 dedicated flooring solutions for public areas in social housing, IVC Commercial helps providers to achieve a high-quality floor that upholds value requirements. The floors prioritise durability, safety and ease of maintenance across a range of welcoming residential designs. 

With the Zenura collection of sheet vinyl, IVC Commercial can respond to the need for cost-effective floors that enhance the lives of people living in social housing.

With growing focus on social housing providing a good standard of accommodation or tenants, providers are considering flooring outside of the regulatory requirement for its use in bathrooms and kitchens. The consensus is that providing suitable flooring in all areas of the home positively impacts the physical and mental wellbeing of tenants, but concerns still exist as to the cost, ongoing maintenance and refurbishment of floors.