The independent Elphicke Ross review of Single Living Accommodation, published on 10 November 2026, presents a troubling picture of accommodation which too often falls short of what Service personnel should reasonably expect.
The report is unusually direct about the consequences. Poor accommodation is not simply an estates-management problem: it affects dignity, morale, trust and retention.
Its evidence includes insecure bedrooms, heating failures, damp and mould, broken fire doors, unsatisfactory washing facilities, poor internet and maintenance systems which personnel find slow or ineffective. In the review’s survey, 83% of respondents had experienced a repair problem and nearly half were dissatisfied with the response to maintenance requests.
The review makes 19 recommendations under the headings “Renew, Reform and Restructure”. Among the most important are:
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rapid-response arrangements for failed heating, insecure bedroom doors and dangerous damp or mould;
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a Decent Single Living Accommodation Standard, requiring accommodation to be safe, warm, clean and secure;
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a costed and prioritised investment plan within one year, with all permanent SLA meeting the standard by 2032;
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an SLA Charter covering suitable kitchens and laundry facilities, as well as reliable and affordable high-speed internet;
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abolition of the present four-tier grading system, under which charges may be reduced to reflect inferior conditions;
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a pass-or-fail system, with failed accommodation withdrawn from occupation;
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stronger controls over contractors entering occupied rooms; and
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a new Office for Military Accommodation within Defence to oversee standards, repairs, compliance, data and investment.
The proposed replacement of the grading system is particularly significant. Discounting the charge for substandard accommodation may recognise its reduced value, but a financial saving does not make a cold, insecure or damp room acceptable. The review’s pass-or-fail approach would establish the more defensible principle that accommodation must meet a minimum standard before personnel can be required to occupy it.
BAFF's first reaction is to welcome the review’s candour and the direction of its recommendations.
These recommendations are not yet Government policy, however.
In its statement to Parliament, the Government welcomed the review and said it would consider all 19 recommendations before publishing a full response in the coming months. At this stage it has not accepted any individual proposals or committed the necessary funding. Air Marshal Sir Paul Lloyd, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, has been appointed to oversee the initial work.
The proposed 2032 deadline is already some years away, while personnel are living with defective accommodation now. Any implementation plan must therefore include interim protections, published annual milestones and clear arrangements for removing unsafe or seriously substandard rooms from use.
The Government’s response should answer at least four questions:
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Will it accept the proposed pass-or-fail Decent SLA Standard?
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What funding will be committed, and over what period?
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What enforceable interim standards and remedies will protect occupants before 2032?
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Will progress, including the number of failed rooms and outstanding serious repairs, be reported publicly?
The proposed Office for Military Accommodation would be an internal Defence body responsible for management and delivery. It would be distinct from the independent Armed Forces Commissioner, whose role is external scrutiny rather than running the accommodation estate.
We think the review offers a credible basis for reform. Its central proposition that every member of the Armed Forces should have accommodation which is safe, warm, clean and secure – should not be controversial.
The real test will be whether the Government accepts that proposition in practice, provides the resources required and publishes a timetable against which progress can be judged.
Natalie Elphicke Ross OBE was commissioned by the Minsiter for Veterans and People to lead the independent review into Single Living Accommodation. The full review can be read here.