What is the HHSRS?

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System is a risk-assessment tool that local councils use to decide whether a home is safe and healthy to live in. It was introduced by Part I of the Housing Act 2004 and has applied to all rented property in England since April 2006.

When a council Environmental Health Officer (EHO) inspects a property, they identify hazards that could threaten an occupier’s health or safety and generate a numerical score for each. Importantly, the score attaches to the dwelling, not the occupant — an empty property can still be assessed, and the score does not reset when a tenancy ends.

How the assessment works

For each hazard, the assessor imagines the home occupied by the age group most at risk from that particular hazard. A fall on a level surface, for example, is assessed against a resident over 60; a fall from a window is assessed against a child under five. This reflects the realistic worst case, whoever actually lives there.

The assessor then weighs two things — the likelihood the hazard causes harm over the next twelve months, and the severity of that harm if it occurs — and combines them into a hazard score.

Who carries out an inspection?

Environmental Health Officers from the local council carry out HHSRS inspections. They can issue Improvement Notices, Prohibition Orders, Emergency Prohibition Orders and Hazard Awareness Notices, and can carry out emergency remedial works themselves and recover the cost from the landlord.

Inspections are most often triggered by a tenant complaint. Since 1 May 2026, when Section 21 “no-fault” evictions were abolished by the Renters’ Rights Act, tenants have greater security of tenure — and far less reason to stay quiet about problems. Proactive landlords who keep on top of maintenance are now in a much stronger position than those who wait for a complaint.

Change 1: From 29 hazards to 21

The original HHSRS covered 29 separate hazards, several of which overlapped or were rarely seen in practice. The 2026 reforms consolidate these into 21 hazards under four headings. Nothing has been removed from what a council can assess — the grouping simply makes the system easier to apply and understand.

The 21 HHSRS hazards from June 2026

Protection against accidents:

•      Falls on the level

•      Falling on stairs etc.

•      Falling between levels

•      Fire and explosions

•      Flames, hot surfaces, etc.

•      Collisions, entrapment and ergonomics

•      Structural collapse and falling elements

•      Electrical hazards

Physiological requirements:

•      Excess cold

•      Radiation

•      Damp and mould growth

•      Lead

•      Indoor air pollutants

•      Excess heat

•      Asbestos and MMF

Protection against infection:

•      Domestic hygiene

•      Water supply

Psychological requirements:

•      Crowding and space

•      Entry by intruders

•      Noise

•      Lighting

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Change 4: A broader definition of “prescribed fire hazard”

The definition of a “prescribed fire hazard” has been extended. Previously it covered uncontrolled fire and associated smoke. From June 2026 it also covers:

•      Fumes from a fire

•      Explosions

•      The collapse of all or part of a building resulting from fire or explosion

This is a meaningful expansion that reflects contemporary understanding of fire risk in residential buildings — particularly relevant in multi-storey or converted properties — and aligns with the Building Safety Act. A supplementary government guide to the fire and explosions hazard is being finalised and will accompany the new regulations.

Change 5: The introduction of baseline indicators

This is arguably the most practically significant change for landlords. For the first time, the HHSRS Operating Guidance includes a set of baseline indicators: a prescriptive (though non-exhaustive) list of building measures designed to protect occupiers’ health, safety and wellbeing.

The baseline indicators are not minimum legal standards, and they do not replace a council officer’s professional judgement. But where a property falls short of a relevant indicator, that shortfall counts as a deficiency in the assessment — and deficiencies directly affect the hazard score. In short: if your property misses a baseline indicator and a council officer inspects it, you are more likely to receive a Category 1 finding.

The HHSRS baseline indicators: a practical checklist

The new baseline indicators appear in Part 2 of the HHSRS Operating Guidance. They are designed to apply to most property types and ages. Falling short does not automatically mean a Category 1 hazard, but a council officer is entitled to use them as a starting point when deciding whether a deficiency exists. Think of them as the floor below which a well-maintained property should never fall.

Heating

Every dwelling should have a properly installed heating system in good, safe working condition capable of heating the main living area to 21°C and all other habitable rooms to 18°C when the outside temperature is −1°C. For most landlords this means a working central heating system and boiler — but the indicator adds a performance test: it is not enough to have a boiler; it must adequately heat the whole property.

Damp and mould

The guidance sets three requirements:

•      No visible mould or mildew growth on any surface within the dwelling.

•      No penetrating or rising damp affecting any internal surface.

•      No more than 5% of any single surface affected by condensation dampness or associated mould growth.

The 5% rule is particularly significant. A patch of mould painted over in a bathroom corner, or damp on a chimney breast that has been there for years, now has a quantified threshold against which it can be judged. “A bit of condensation” is no longer an adequate response if it covers more than a small patch of one surface. Damp and mould was the hazard at the heart of Awaab’s Law, and it rightly attracts a great deal of regulatory attention.

Stairs and handrails

Every interior and exterior stairway with four or more risers must have at least one structurally sound, continuous handrail installed between 900mm and 1,000mm high (measured from the pitch line to the top of the rail), firmly fastened and capable of supporting a 140kg load. Wobbly, partial or wrongly-positioned handrails on any stairway with four or more steps will count as a deficiency.

Windows above the ground floor

The draft Operating Guidance is, on its own admission, slightly inconsistent here: one section lists window opening restrictors as a “risk reduction” measure, while the baseline indicator states that all windows with an opening section greater than 100mm, through which a person could fall a single storey or more, should have a fall-prevention device restricting the opening to less than 100mm — overridable where the window is needed as a fire escape.

Because baseline indicators are a starting point rather than a strict pass/fail, a shortfall here prompts a judgement call: the assessor will also look at sill height, ease of opening and other factors before scoring the risk. That said, window restrictors are inexpensive, so fitting them to opening windows above ground floor that currently lack them is a straightforward, low-cost precaution.

Hot water temperature

An adequate supply of heated running water must reach sinks, washbasins, baths and showers. Hot water storage tanks must be set to a minimum of 60°C (a Legionella control), while at taps and shower heads the temperature must not exceed 45°C to prevent scalding. Meeting both may require a thermostatic mixing valve (TMV) at baths and showers in some older properties where the supply runs hot.

Smoke and heat detectors

There must be sufficient, properly designed and appropriately sited smoke and heat detectors in every dwelling, properly maintained and regularly tested. This reinforces the existing Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2022 — smoke alarms on each storey, carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with fuel-burning appliances — and adds an explicit maintenance and testing duty.

Civil penalties: the £7,000 financial stakes

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 inserts a new Section 6A into the Housing Act 2004, creating a civil penalty specifically for Category 1 HHSRS hazards. It applies from June 2026 alongside the new HHSRS regime.

The phrase “reasonably practicable” matters. If a council officer identifies a serious hazard and concludes a landlord should have known about it and could and should have fixed it, the penalty can apply regardless of a claim of ignorance.

The £7,000 is a maximum for a single Category 1 hazard. A property with multiple serious hazards could in principle attract multiple penalties — on top of the cost of any remedial works, which a council may carry out and recover from the landlord. A landlord who fails to remedy a hazard in an Improvement Notice can also face prosecution and an unlimited fine. The civil penalty is an additional, faster enforcement route, not a replacement for the council’s existing powers.

What “reasonably practicable” looks like

Courts and councils assess this by asking whether a reasonable landlord, exercising due care, would have identified and fixed the problem. The baseline indicators are directly relevant: a landlord who failed to fit a window restrictor, or left a handrail wobbly for months, will struggle to argue a resulting Category 1 hazard was not reasonably practicable to address.

The bigger picture: where HHSRS fits in 2026

The June 2026 HHSRS changes are part of a much wider reshaping of the private rented sector. Seeing how they connect helps you understand the full scope of your obligations.

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025

The Act is being implemented in phases. Phase 1 came into force on 1 May 2026, abolishing assured shorthold tenancies and Section 21 evictions — all private tenancies are now periodic, ending only on specific statutory grounds — and giving local authorities significantly greater enforcement powers. Phase 2 introduces the Private Rented Sector Database from late 2026, with mandatory registration and an annual fee, making compliance records visible to councils and, in time, to tenants. Phase 3, expected from 2028, brings the PRS Landlord Ombudsman and eventually the Decent Homes Standard.

The Decent Homes Standard

The Decent Homes Standard currently applies to social housing. The Renters’ Rights Act will extend it to the private rented sector for the first time, with full compliance expected by 2035, subject to final legislation. Under the revised standard, a home must meet five criteria — the first being that it is free from Category 1 HHSRS hazards. Getting HHSRS-compliant now means you are simultaneously building your Decent Homes Standard compliance.

Awaab’s Law

Awaab’s Law currently applies in social housing, and the government has committed to extending it to the private rented sector. It sets strict timeframes within which landlords must investigate and fix hazards once notified, with damp and mould specifically covered. In practice, once you are notified of a hazard, the clock starts on your legal obligation to respond.

EPC requirements

The government has signalled that most new and existing domestic private rented properties will need to achieve EPC rating C or equivalent by 1 October 2030. Excess cold is one of the 21 HHSRS hazards, so a poorly insulated, cold property is both an energy-compliance risk and an HHSRS-compliance risk. Acting now builds your Decent Homes, Awaab’s Law and EPC readiness at the same time.

Your HHSRS action plan

Understanding the changes is only half the task. Here is a practical action plan for landlords across three time horizons.

Immediate — before 23 June 2026

1.    Walk your property with the baseline indicators in mind. Check staircases (handrails at 900–1,000mm, firmly fixed), windows above ground floor (restrictors in place), smoke and heat detectors, signs of damp or mould, and heating capability.

2.   Check your boiler and heating. Can it heat the main living area to 21°C and secondary rooms to 18°C? If in doubt, have a qualified heating engineer assess the system.

3.   Check hot water temperatures. Cylinder set to 60°C; no more than 45°C at bath taps and showers. Fit thermostatic mixing valves if needed.

4.   Address any damp and mould. The 5% threshold means even modest visible mould must be taken seriously. Identify the cause — ventilation, insulation or structural — and fix it properly rather than painting over it.

5.   Fit window restrictors. Add them to opening windows above ground floor that lack them, ensuring any fire-escape windows can still be overridden.

Ongoing — good practice throughout the year

1.    Inspect at least every six months and keep a written record of findings, actions and dates.

2.   Respond promptly to all tenant-reported repairs. Under Awaab’s Law (once extended to the PRS), the clock starts when you are notified. Good repair records are your first line of defence.

3.   Keep statutory certificates current: gas safety (annual), EICR (every five years) and EPC (every ten years, or sooner if works are carried out).

4.   Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms at the start of each tenancy and on each inspection, and document the results.

5.   Stay informed. PRS legislation is changing quickly — register for updates from your council, a landlord association or your letting agent.

Longer-term planning

1.    Commission a full HHSRS survey from a qualified surveyor if your property is older, has not been recently refurbished, or you have any doubt about its condition. A proactive assessment costs far less than an enforcement notice.

2.   Budget capital spend for the highest-risk hazards first: damp and mould, excess cold, falls on stairs, and electrical and fire hazards.

3.   Review your insurance cover against the updated HHSRS framework. Some policies have not kept pace, and a gap in cover can be as costly as the hazard itself.

How Your Home Managed can help

We are South London’s specialist lettings and property management agency, and HHSRS compliance is built into everything we do for managed landlords. In practice, that means:

•      Regular property inspections by experienced members of our team, with written reports and photographic records.

•      Maintenance management through a trusted network of qualified, insured contractors across South London.

•      A comprehensive maintenance log for each property — the documentation trail you need if enforcement is ever threatened.

•      Reminders and coordination for gas safety checks, EICRs and EPC renewals.

•      Prompt handling of all tenant-reported repairs, with tenant and landlord communication kept on file.

•      Proactive updates whenever legislation changes that affects your obligations — which is exactly why we produced this guide.

If you would like a structured review of your property or portfolio against the new baseline indicators, our team can walk through the key areas with you, flag anything likely to appear as a deficiency, and advise on the most cost-effective way to address it. This is particularly valuable if your property is older, has not had a formal inspection recently, or has had unresolved tenant maintenance concerns.

Even if you self-manage, we can still advise. If you are considering bringing a property under management — or would simply like a second opinion before the June 2026 changes take effect — get in touch for an informal conversation.

Get in touch

Whether you are an existing client with questions about how the HHSRS changes affect your property, or a landlord thinking about switching to professional management, our team is ready to help.

A note on this guide: This guide was accurate at the time of publication (June 2026). Legislation affecting the private rented sector is evolving rapidly, and Your Home Managed will continue to issue updated guidance as new requirements come into force. It is general information, not legal advice — for advice on a specific property or situation, please get in touch.