Housing Health and Safety Rating System
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is the main tool councils in England use to assess whether a rented home has health and safety hazards serious enough to need enforcement action. It looks at 29 types of hazard . These include excess cold, damp and mould, fire risk, falls, crowding and entry by intruders. It scores how likely harm is, and how severe it could be, for a typical tenant occupier.
HHSRS is what usually sits behind an inspection, improvement notice or prohibition order from the local authority. If the council finds a Category 1 hazard, which is the most serious, it has a legal duty to act. Category 2 hazards give it a power to act. That can mean requiring repairs or improvements, restricting use of part of the property. In extreme cases stopping it being lived in and/or imposing civil penalties on the landlord.
Under the Renters’ Rights Act, HHSRS remains central but is being updated and simplified, and is expected to work alongside the extended Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law duties on damp and mould. Landlords are expected to be proactive, including regularly checking for hazards, fixing root causes promptly, and keeping clear records to show that risks are properly controlled.
See August's features on maintenance reporting.
