If you report a problem with your rented property to the local council, the environmental health team will inspect it using the HHSRS. The system doesn't just check whether things are broken. It assesses the risk of harm from specific hazards across 29 categories, including damp and mould growth, excess cold, falls on stairs, electrical hazards, fire, noise, and crowding.
Each hazard is scored based on the likelihood of it causing harm and the severity of the potential outcome. Hazards are then classified as either:
If your property has a Category 1 hazard, your local council must take action. This could include serving an improvement notice (requiring the landlord to carry out specific works), a prohibition order (restricting the use of the property), or in extreme cases, an emergency remedial action notice. For Category 2 hazards, the council can take action but isn't required to.
The HHSRS is also the assessment framework used to determine whether a property meets the fitness for human habitation standard and the Decent Homes Standard.
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