Abstract:
A wealth of studies has demonstrated the significance of adequate or quality housing on
occupant’s productivity, performance, comfort and health. However, insufficient data on
the conditions of existing housing stocks and a lack of consensus measures of housing
quality hinder housing developments from achieving residential needs. Due to the lack
of quality indicators, the quality of housing is not often assessed. Therefore, this paper
presents a systematic review using the PRISMA protocol to provide an overview of the
housing quality indicators that can be employed to evaluate housing quality. The review
consisted of 62 studies investigating 66 housing quality indicators. Each fall into one of
eight categories, namely 1) dwelling unit architectural design characteristics and
features; 2) user comfort; 3) housing site location and neighbourhood; 4) building
services; 5) construction quality and stability; 6) economic aspect; 7) building
maintenance; or 8) sustainability. The results show that investigating housing quality
indicators is a growing research field where adequate ventilation was the most critical
indicator of a quality home. Since the identified indicators are essential determinants of
a quality house, architects and engineers can integrate these features at the design and
construction stages in upgrading the conditions of dwellings while satisfying occupant’s
comfort and quality of life. Further, governments can develop housing quality standards
or regulations using these indicators to improve the quality of new housing
constructions.
