The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS): explained

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is the legal system councils use to check for hazards in homes. Knowing how it works can help you. It can help you see why a council inspector calls a problem the way they do. It can show what the council can do as a result. It can also show how an HHSRS check can back up a disrepair claim. Below, we explain how the system works.

Key facts

• The 2024 to 2025 English Housing Survey found about 15% of homes in England, around 4.0 million, did not meet the Decent Homes Standard. In the private rented sector the figure was 22%. English Housing Survey 2024-25, GOV.UK
• The 2024 to 2025 English Housing Survey found about 5% of homes in England, around 1.4 million, had a problem with damp, most common in privately rented homes (10%). English Housing Survey 2024-25, GOV.UK

What is the HHSRS?

The HHSRS is a risk-based system. It was brought in under the Housing Act 2004. It took over from the older housing fitness standard. Council environmental health officers use it when they inspect a home. They may inspect after a tenant complains. They may also inspect as part of a planned check.

The system covers 29 types of hazard. These range from cold and damp to electrical faults, falls, the building falling down, and poor hygiene. For each hazard, the officer looks at how likely harm is. They also look at how bad that harm could be. Together these give a score.

Category 1 and Category 2 hazards

Based on the score, hazards are put into groups:

Category 1: The most serious hazards. Here the risk to your health or safety is seen as serious. Examples include cold, bad damp and mould, serious electrical faults, and big problems with the building.

Category 2: Less serious hazards. There is still a risk, but it is seen as lower.

The group matters. It changes what the council can do and must do:

• For Category 1 hazards, the council has a duty to act. It cannot just choose to do nothing.
• For Category 2 hazards, the council has the power to act, but it does not have to.

What action can the council take?

Where the council finds a Category 1 hazard, its main choices include:

Improvement notice: A formal notice. It tells the landlord to do set repairs or improvements by a set date. The landlord must do the work or appeal. Not doing the work is a crime.

Prohibition order: This limits or stops the use of part or all of a home. For example, it can stop the use of a bedroom found to be unsafe.

Hazard awareness notice: A notice that records the hazard, but does not ask for action. It is used for less serious cases. It is also used where other action fits better.

Emergency remedial action: Where there is danger to you very soon, the council can set up urgent work. It can then get the cost back from the landlord.

Emergency prohibition order: This stops the use of the home, or part of it, right away. It is used where the risk is right now.

Common Category 1 hazards relevant to tenants

• Excess cold: A home where the heating is poor or broken. Or where the building is so poor that the home cannot be heated to a safe warmth. This is one of the hazards found most often in the private rented sector.

• Damp and mould growth: Where the home lets damp or mould grow. The type and amount of it puts health at risk. This is worse for those at risk, the old, children, and people with breathing problems.

• Electrical hazards: Faulty wiring, too much load on circuits, or broken fittings.

• Falls associated with stairs: Faulty stair handrails, or stairs that are steep or worn.

• Structural collapse: Where the building has moved a lot and this makes a risk.

How does an HHSRS assessment help with a disrepair claim?

An HHSRS inspection is not the same as a disrepair claim. But the two can work together. Say a council has found a Category 1 hazard in your home. This is strong proof that:

• The state of the home puts health at risk
• The hazard is serious enough to need work done by a professional
• The council has a duty to make the landlord act

This proof can back up a disrepair compensation claim. A council inspector found a Category 1 hazard in your home. The landlord knew about the problem. Both of these matter for who is at fault and for how much compensation you may get.

How to request an HHSRS inspection

Contact your local council's environmental health team. Ask for an inspection under the HHSRS. They will usually ask for details of the hazard you are worried about. See our full guide: /help-centre/how-to-request-an-hhsrs-inspection.

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

Your home may have problems that count as a housing hazard. This could be damp, cold, mould, or problems with the building. If your landlord has not acted, call us on 0800 030 4669.

No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.

Sources

• Housing Health and Safety Rating System Regulations 2005 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Housing Act 2004 (legislation.gov.uk)

Related articles

• How to request an HHSRS inspection
• Prohibition order, what happens to your tenancy?