Housing Health and Safety Rating System

The Housing Act 2004 brought in a new inspecting regime for all residential properties called the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).  The HHSRS takes over from the old fitness standard and takes into account the different types of hazards that can arise in the home and rates the severity of these hazards.

When properties are inspected the officer will look at the whole property and note all hazards found.  The HHSRS system rates the severity of the hazard depending on the age of the house, the occupation, the vulnerable group for the hazard and how many of these hazards are present.  It then categorises each hazard into a Category 1 or Category 2 hazards.

Category 1 hazards when identified by the HHSRS scoring system must have enforcement action taken, the local authority is legally obliged to take action to remove category 1 hazards from the local housing stock.

Category 2 hazards have been scored as less serious however enforcement action can still be taken with respect to these.  Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council will enforce both category 1 and 2 hazards when identified to ensure the safety of the residents in Rotherham and to improve the quality of the housing stock.

For further details visit: Communities and Local Government

To arrange an inspection please contact us.