Housing Health and Safety Rating System
Information about the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
What is Housing Health and Safety Rating System?
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is a new risk assessment tool used to assess potential risks to the health and safety of occupants in residential properties in England and Wales. The legislation came into effect in England on 6th April 2006.
HHSRS replaces the Housing Fitness Standard, which was set out in the Housing Act 1985.
Properties will be assessed against 29 potential hazards, which addresses deficiencies associated with excess cold, falls on stairs, noise and damp and mould growth. The new assessment method aims to make homes healthier and safer and tackles hazards the fitness standard could not deal with, or deals with inadequately.
When a hazard is identified in a property, two tests have to be applied:
- What is the likelihood of a dangerous occurrence as a result of the hazard?
- If there is a dangerous occurrence, what would be the likely outcome?
The likelihood and the severity of the outcome combine to generate a hazard score. Hazards scores are divided into 10 bands, with band A being the most serious and band J the least serious. Hazards which fall into bands A – C are called Category 1 hazards and those in band D – J are category 2 hazards.
Why is it needed?
The new assessment method focuses on the hazards that are most likely to be present in housing. Tackling these hazards will make more homes healthier and safer to live in. The Fitness Standard does not deal with, or deals inadequately with, cold and falls for example.
How is it enforced and what are the penalties?
If Fylde Borough Council discover a Category 1 hazard in a property, it has to take the most appropriate course of action. The Council also has a discretionary power to deal with Category 2 hazards by means of enforcement action.
Local Authorities are advised to try and deal with issues informally at first, however if unsuccessful the Council may be left with no alternative but to pursue enforcement action, which will involve the Council serving legal notices on the owner and /or manager of the property, and require them to carry out certain works in a specific time scale.
A property owner who feels an assessment is wrong can discuss the matter with the inspector and ultimately will be able to challenge an enforcement decision at the Residential Property Tribunal
It is an offence not to comply with a statutory notice, which could lead to a fine of up to £5000.
Who does it affect?
All owners and landlords, including social landlords.
Private landlords and managing agents are advised to assess their property to determine whether there are serious hazards that may cause a health or safety risk to tenants. They should then carry out improvement to reduce the risks.
Tenants should be aware of the new approach taken by local authorities to deal with bad housing conditions. They still have discretion over the action they take but they are more likely to prioritise cases where there is some evidence of serious hazards.
