Housing health and safety

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is the risk assessment procedure for residential properties. It replaced the Housing Fitness Regime on the 6 April 2006 in England, and in Wales later that year. HHSRS also replaces the Fitness Standard as an element of the Decent Homes Standard.

How does the Housing Health and Safety Rating System affect me?

Private landlords

In practice, private landlords and managing agents will be most affected by HHSRS assessments. Local authorities will take a strategic approach to the use of their new powers. They will continue to respond to complaints from tenants, and they will also be able to assess properties subject to HMO licensing.

Public sector landlords

Public sector landlords also need to incorporate HHSRS into their stock condition surveys. To be decent, all homes in the social sector should be free of category 1 hazards. Information on HHSRS has been available since July 2000 and stock condition surveys should now include HHSRS. If a landlord is about to embark on a programme of work then housing managers should consider whether there are any category 1 hazards that need to be included in the refurbishment works.

Builders

Maintenance builders should be aware of the change in health and safety assessment and understand the basic principles of HHSRS. In properties with serious hazards, enforcement action will usually be against the owner, and builders would not be liable under HHSRS. However, there may be grounds for occupiers to take civil action under different legislation, such as the Building Act.

Surveyors

Surveyors should be aware of the replacement of the Fitness Standard by HHSRS and understand its basic principles. Valuation surveyors do not need to refer to HHSRS when carrying out homebuyer surveys.

If you cannot find the information you need in this section or would like more details about the Housing Health and Safety Rating System please email: rating.system@communities.gsi.gov.uk

You can return to this page by using the quick link www.communities.gov.uk/hhsrs

Case Study

Doreen Slade (55) and her son Dean (36), live in a three-storey mid terraced house built circa 1910. They rent the property from a private landlord. Doreen has made a complaint to the local authority about the state of the house after her requests for improvements were not taken seriously by her landlord.

The property has solid brick walls, with a tiled pitch roof. On the ground floor there is a living room to the front and kitchen to the rear. Also on the ground floor is a w.c. which is accessible only from the outside. A winding staircase leads directly off the kitchen. On the first floor there is a bedroom at the front and another smaller bedroom and bathroom at the rear. The staircase continues up to the roofspace where a third bedroom with a dormer window is situated.

The windows were replaced with uPVC double glazing around 15 years ago which is now falling apart. The property is heated by individual gas fires in the living room, kitchen and main bedroom. There is no central heating and the other bedrooms use electric heaters. There is a small amount of rising damp at low level in the kitchen.

In Doreen and Dean's house, the old Housing Fitness Standard would have only picked up on rising damp as a problem. HHSRS identifies the rising damp as well as a cold and collision risk as category 2 hazards. However, it also identifies two more serious hazards, potential falls on the stairs and a fire risk. These are category 1 hazards, the most serious under HHSRS.

Problems identified under Fitness Standard:	Hazards identified by HHSRS using risk assessment
Rising damp	Damp and mould growth (rising damp)
	Falls on stairs (staircase)
	Fire (no smoke alarms and inadequate means of escape)
	Cold (no roof insulation and no central heating)
	Collision risk (cramped kitchen cupboards and attic chimney breast)

Action carried out under Fitness Standard	Action carried out under HHSRS
Rising damp: install or repair damp proof course	Rising damp: add or repair damp proof course, ensure rooms are adequately heated and ventilated.
	Staircase: fix secure handrails, add extra lighting, remove coat hooks
	Fire: replace gas and electric fire with central heating, install smoke detectors and fire doors to the kitchen an attic room.
	Cold: install 250mm roof insulation and full central heating system.
	Bumps and crashes: remove kitchen cupboards by door; re hang attic door away from chimney breast or put up fluorescent sign.

The inspector may start by discussing the problems with the landlady, Bernice Rugby. He is likely to ask her to install a hand rail and lighting in the stairs to prevent falls, as well as fire alarms and to keep escape routes clear in case of a fire. If she does not co-operate, the authority may resort to formal enforcement action and serve her with an Improvement Notice. The inspector may also recommend that she installs central heating to deal with the risk of cold and reduce the rising damp. Most landlords will agree to make necessary improvements. Failure to comply with a statutory notice can lead to a fine of up to £5,000.

If Mrs Rugby disagrees with the requirements of a formal notice she could appeal to the Residential Property Tribunal Service.

Further information

Further guidance is available in the Publications about the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. However, if you cannot find the information you need or would like more details about the Housing Health and Safety Rating System please email: rating.system@communities.gsi.gov.uk

You can return to this page by using the quick link www.communities.gov.uk/hhsrs