The UK government has published a comprehensive revision of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) – the principal mechanism used by local authorities in England to assess health and safety risks in homes and enforce standards in the rented sector.
The HHSRS also underpins the Decent Homes Standard and informs national housing condition analysis through the English Housing Survey.
The revised framework came into force in June 2026 and is supported by new statutory operating and enforcement guidance, case studies and practical guidance for landlords, agents and tenants.
Risk-based approach remains central
The HHSRS was introduced by the Housing Act 2004 and has been in force since April 2006.
The latest revisions follow a substantial review involving academics, technical specialists and housing professionals; surveys, interviews and regional focus groups were used to collect evidence and feedback from more than 1,000 stakeholders, including RICS.
Although the risk-based approach remains intact, assessors will be required to apply new descriptive and evaluative measures when determining hazard severity.
This means familiarising themselves with the updated technical guidance and hazard profiles before undertaking inspections or advising clients on compliance issues.
The framework now covers 21 housing hazards, with hazards that were found to be statistically similar in terms of likelihood and health outcomes amalgamated to make the system more streamlined and easier to apply consistently.
Guidance expanded to support inspections and assessments
The revised operating guidance is structured in three parts.
- Part 1 – An introductory guide explains the principles of the HHSRS and the process assessors must follow when evaluating risks.
- Part 2 – A technical guide for assessors provides detailed technical guidance, including profiles for each of the 21 hazards.
- Part 3 – A supplementary guide to the hazard of fire and explosions offers supplementary guidance on the assessment of fire and explosion risks, recognising the complexity and significance of these hazards.
The government has also published illustrated case studies and baseline indicators designed to help assessors apply the system more consistently in practice.
Local authorities remain under a duty to take enforcement action where a Category 1 hazard is identified; they also retain discretionary powers to deal with Category 2 hazards where intervention is considered appropriate.
As the HHSRS operating guidance is issued under section 9 of the Housing Act 2004, local authorities must have regard to it when carrying out hazard assessments. The new guidance formally replaces the previous operating guidance introduced in 2006.
Practice implications
The updated HHSRS ultimately reinforces the growing emphasis on health outcomes within housing assessment, and its revised framework is likely to impact inspections, stock condition surveys, compliance reviews and enforcement-related expert witness work.
Professionals advising landlords, social housing providers and local authorities should review the new guidance promptly, paying particular attention to the revised scoring methodology, hazard profiles and baseline safety indicators.
The publication of supporting case studies should also assist in achieving greater consistency across the sector.
RICS welcomes the publication of the updated HHSRS operating guidance, which will be of particular interest to members working in the social and private rented sector, especially when dealing with disrepair cases. Further support is available in RICS’ webinar on housing disrepair claims.
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