The biggest housing standards change in 20 years is here. Since the 23rd of June, the way hazards are assessed has been updated, with stiffer financial penalties for non-compliance. Private landlords in England must understand how the revised system works and make sure they’re keeping detailed inspection and maintenance records.
The HHSRS
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is a tool used to identify and assess the risks to the health and wellbeing of the people who live in a property. It’s based on the belief that all homes should be safe and healthy, including rented and social housing. The person carrying out the inspection uses the HHSRS to study hazards and apply a points-based system to assess their severity and decide on any necessary action.
Let’s say a tenant complains to their local council about damp in the property. The council can send an environmental health or housing standards officer to assess the mould using the HHSRS. If the officer finds the mould to be severe, the council can legally require the landlord to fix the problem within a specific timeframe.
What changed on the 23rd of June?
As many landlords felt the system was overly complicated, the UK government has simplified the criteria and also strengthened local authorities’ powers to enforce the rules.
Here are the key changes:
- The number of hazard categories has shrunk from 29 to 21. Several hazards have been combined for a simpler approach. For example, ‘domestic hygiene’ covers food safety, sanitation, drainage, pests and refuse.
- Instead of grading hazards from Category A to J, they are classified as high risk (a score of 1,000+ points), medium risk (100-999) or low risk (under 100). If a hazard is deemed high risk, the council must take enforcement action. Damp, mould, falls (from stairs, for example), and fire all remain high-risk. For medium- and low-risk hazards, the council can decide what action they think is needed.
- The four classes of harm have changed from I to IV to more descriptive labels: extreme, severe, serious and moderate. This makes the system more intuitive without changing what the categories represent. For example, ‘extreme’ still covers the most serious outcomes, including death from any cause, permanent loss of consciousness and extreme burns.
- Baseline indicators have been introduced to help landlords run through a checklist of areas to consider. For instance, the potential problems of damp, inadequate heating and lack of handrails for stairs.
The updated system applies to inspections carried out on or after the 22nd of June. Inspections that began before this date must be assessed under the old system.
What should landlords do now?
Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, the local authority no longer needs to give 24 hours’ notice before they inspect a property. This means landlords must make sure their homes always meet decent standards.
In practical terms, it’s a good idea to regularly carry out property inspections and address any hazards as soon as possible. What’s more, you need to keep detailed inspection and maintenance records – not necessarily using a specific HHSRS form but generally demonstrating that you’ve taken good care. For example:
- Document the date of each inspection, who carried it out, and ask the tenant to sign the paperwork to show they were aware of the findings
- Make a record of everything you check, such as smoke alarms, fire escapes and electrical fixtures
- Take photographs of rooms and areas you want to prove were undamaged at the time of an inspection
- Detail action plans that include the work needed, who is responsible and the deadline for completion
Keeping these records will help you to prove you’ve actively tackled hazards and followed the rules, should you be challenged. If local authorities find you haven’t met standards, they can apply civil penalties of up to £40,000.
Final thoughts
Although you don’t need to apply the HHSRS yourself, by familiarising yourself with the updated system, you can more easily spot and assess potential hazards in your rental properties. To talk through the HHSRS and other regulatory changes, book a compliance review with your local Winkworth lettings team.
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