Healthy Homes guidance points to Passivhaus
The Passivhaus standard is cited in Homes England’s recent Healthy Homes guidance as demonstrating best practice in relation to energy efficiency, indoor air quality and overheating. Social housing providers developing a project that is seeking Homes England funding will be able to demonstrate ‘good practice enhancements’ to the agency in these three key areas of Homes England’s Healthy Homes guidance by opting for the Passivhaus standard.
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Passivhaus is a well-established design and quality assurance system aimed at reducing energy demand, addressing the 'performance gap' of new buildings, and improving comfort levels for residents. ….There is significant overlap between a Passivhaus approach and the aims of Healthy Homes. Healthy Homes guidance, Homes England |
Good practice
The Healthy Homes guidance has been developed as a concise set of core specifications and good practice guidance for social housing providers. It offers guidance for Homes England-funded projects but is not a statutory requirement.
Homes England recognises the health advantages of Passivhaus, and Passivhaus dwellings will automatically achieve ‘good practice’ enhanced status on specific healthy homes measures. These are cited as:
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Building fabric and energy performance: The space heating demand to be a maximum of 15 kilowatt-hour per metre² per year or peak heating load to be a maximum of 10 watts per metre² in accordance with the Passivhaus standard.
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Overheating: Healthy Homes should be designed so that indoor temperatures do not exceed 25°C for more than 10% of the year, in accordance with the Passivhaus standard.
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Ventilation and indoor air quality: The preferred ventilation strategy for Healthy Homes is a high-efficiency (greater than 75% efficient) Mechanically Ventilated Heat Recovery (MVHR) system, designed in accordance with the Passivhaus standard
Health benefits of Passivhaus
The health impacts of living in cold and damp homes include lung disease, heart disease and stroke, and premature death. Awaab’s Law makes landlords legally responsible for investigating and resolving damp, mould and other serious hazards within strict timeframes, preventing the health tragedies linked to poor housing conditions.
The Passivhaus Trust has undertaken extensive research on the health benefits of Passivhaus and continues to gather evidence through numerous post-occupancy evaluations. The Trust is now working with universities to encourage greater inclusion of Passivhaus buildings within academic research, helping to further validate and amplify these findings.
Key health benefits delivered by Passivhaus
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Eliminates damp and mould at source: Passivhaus design addresses condensation risk head-on. A continuous thermal envelope, high insulation and airtightness mean surfaces stay warm and dry, the perfect defence against damp and mould.
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Healthy indoor air: Continuous mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) supplies fresh, filtered air while maintaining warmth. This prevents pollutant and moisture build-up, delivering good indoor air quality.
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Comfortable internal temperatures: Passivhaus buildings stay warm in winter and cool in summer with minimal energy. By modelling and preventing overheating at the design stage, Passivhaus addresses summer comfort.
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Proven energy efficiency: Ultra-low energy demand delivers radical energy and cost savings, and reduced fuel poverty.
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Built-in performance assurance:
Passivhaus certification implies rigorous design, modelling, testing and construction control. This helps meet the ethos of proactive hazard prevention embedded in Awaab’s Law rather than reactive repairs.
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There are several interconnected benefits associated with a Passivhaus approach, including lower energy costs, a constant supply of fresh air to eliminate condensation and mould risk, reducing risk of overheating, and creating a quieter internal living environment. Healthy Homes guidance, Homes England |
Benefits for social housing providers
For housing providers and local authorities, adopting Passivhaus is a proactive investment in resident wellbeing and building longevity. By embedding these principles from the design stage, social landlords can prevent the hazards Awaab’s Law seeks to eliminate, while also meeting key elements of the Healthy Homes guidance. The result will be fewer complaints, happier and healthier residents, and homes that perform as designed.
Homes England’s public acknowledgement of the health benefits of Passivhaus is a boost to social housing providers seeking reliable ways to improve resident health and wellbeing and offers a tried, tested and trusted route to healthy, safe and resilient homes for everyone.
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Shifting from isolated exemplars to affordable comfort at scale, is the theme of this year's UK Passivhaus Conference, scaling affordable comfort and resilience, on 18 November in London and online. Book your place to join us. Free places are available for those working in the public sector of the construction industry.
Further information
Healthy Homes guidance, Homes England
Passivhaus Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work
Passivhaus Social Housing | Client Clubs
Misunderstanding Passivhaus Principles
Previous PHT story: Passivhaus - the proven route to healthy homes - 19 November 2025
Passivhaus is good for you! - Inside Housing ,19 November 2025
A smart investment
For housing providers and local authorities, adopting Passivhaus or “Passivhaus-informed” principles isn’t just a compliance exercise — it’s a proactive investment in resident wellbeing, building longevity and operational resilience.
By embedding these principles from the design stage, social landlords can prevent the very hazards Awaab’s Law seeks to eliminate, while also meeting the health, comfort and energy ambitions of the Healthy Homes Standard. The result? Fewer complaints, happier residents, and homes that perform as brilliantly as they look.
Building better, for good
The Healthy Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law signal a powerful shift: a national commitment to homes that nurture rather than harm. Passivhaus has been delivering exactly that for over 30 years — evidence-based, people-centred, and future-proof. passivhaustrust.org.uk+1
As the UK raises the bar for housing quality, Passivhaus provides the blueprint to achieve it — a tried, tested and trusted route to healthy, safe and resilient homes for everyone. Read about the key principles of what makes a Passivhaus a robust solution. Discover more in the Passivhaus Overlay to the RIBA Plan of work on how and when to apply the principles during key project milestones.25th August 2026
Get involved with the UK Passivhaus community
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