News

HHSRS national survey launched today: have your say!

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2021 - RH Environmental Ltd

HHSRS Phase II stakeholder engagement survey 2021

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) was developed in the 1990s and has been in place for approximately 15 years. In that time, building technology and knowledge about risks and hazards in buildings have advanced.

The HHSRS is a tool for assessing risk relating to health and safety matters arising from deficiencies within the dwelling and is the first step local authorities take before considering which, if any, enforcement powers should be used under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004.

RH Environmental Ltd has been appointed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to carry out a two-year research project on their behalf.

The review and associated research will focus on the following:

  • Review of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) Operating Guidance.
  • Development of an updated set of worked examples.
  • Reviewed HHSRS training for assessors and other stakeholders, including the introduction of a competency framework.
  • Development of a simpler means of banding HHSRS assessment results.
  • New recommended minimum standards.
  • Assessment into the amalgamation or removal of existing hazard profiles.
  • Review of HHSRS digital assessment tools.
  • Reviewed and updated HHSRS ‘Landlords Guidance’ and new ‘Tenants Guidance’.
  • Reviewed and updated HHSRS Enforcement Guidance.
  • Review of the fire safety hazard.

The review of the HHSRS will impact upon a wide range of stakeholders, including housing regulators and surveyors, landlords, other property professionals and residents.

For this reason, the project team believes that engagement with these groups is critical to its success. Online surveys have been launched today (3 March 2021) to reach out to all those affected by this review.

There are four different surveys, available for a period of four weeks from Wednesday 3 March until Wednesday 31 March 2021, all listed below.

EHPs, HHSRS Assessors and Other Housing Professionals Survey: Aimed at those with a more in-depth knowledge of the HHSRS, its principles and assessment requirements. Stakeholders might include local authority private sector housing and homelessness teams, HHSRS assessors, trainers and/or academics, as well as other housing surveyors, legal professionals and tenant and occupier representative organisations.

Landlords Survey: Aimed at private and social rented sector landlords. Stakeholders may include local authority or housing association providers, lettings and managing agents, block managers or private and purpose-built student accommodation providers.

HHSRS Digital Assessment Tools Survey: Aimed at all those individuals and organisations (local authority private and social sector housing teams, registered providers of social housing, other housing providers such as charitable organisations and private companies who deliver housing survey inspections) who have a working knowledge of the end-to-end HHSRS assessment process as it is practised and are able to identify the technology that is being used in this process, what the future technology requirements might be and the opportunities that can be derived from data collection during the assessment process.

Tenants Survey: Aimed at private rented sector and housing association tenants and owner-occupiers.

Further details regarding the HHSRS Review (Phase 2) and participation in the Online Surveys can be found here.

For all the latest news and events, you can sign up for the free London Property Licensing newsletter here.