Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is a risk based assessment and is the method used by local authorities to assess housing. It is based on the principle that:
"Any residential premises should provide a safe and healthy environment for any potential occupier or visitor".
The system applies to all dwellings including:
- Owner occupied
- Privately rented
- Housing associations.
Councils have a duty to keep the housing conditions in privately owned property under review, together with a duty to inspect a property to determine if any health and safety hazards exist.
The HHSRS is not a standard which the property must meet but an assessment of the risk that could occur from any fault or poor maintenance associated with a dwelling.
The use of a formula produces a numerical score, which allows comparison of all the hazards. The score is known as the hazard score, the higher the score the greater the risk.
Local authority Environmental Health professions undertake assessments and they must decide for each hazard, the likelihood, over the next 12 months, of an occurrence e.g:
- Falling down stairs, electrocution etc.,
The range of potential outcomes from such an occurrence e.g:
- Death, severe injury etc.
There are 29 hazards associated with the system, please see our HHSRS flyer [PDF] {66K) for further details of these hazards.
When an assessment is initially made it is based on the likely affect on the most vulnerable to the hazard. This is generally either the young or the elderly.
Enforcement of HHSRS
Under the Housing Act 2004 the council has enforcement powers and duties. These powers include serving the following:
- Improvement Notice
- Prohibition Order
- Hazard Awareness Notice
- Emergency Prohibition Order
- Emergency Remedial Action
- Demolition Order
- Declaration of a Clearance Area.
The council will try initially to deal with the serious hazards, if possible, informally before taking any of the above actions.
For further information and more explanations please visit
You can also visit the Communities and Local Government web pages for more advice on housing issues.