Posted By Pete Stewart
Hi All,

This is a new one to me, as i have never heard anything about this scheme.

It appears that there is a health & safety-rating scheme (Housing; Health and Safety Rating System) for Council owned housing (maybe also covering Housing Associations).

Does anyone know what it involves, where is comes from and the aims of it?

I assume that it must cover such things, as Asbestos, gas and electrical systems safety, but is there anything else or general info available.

Many thanks,

Pete

Posted By ian_wolfe
Hi Pete,

This sounds interesting, here in Hong Kong we have a PASS (Performance Assessment Scoring System)used by the Housing Authority for years, do enlighten me if you have got details about your Housing Health & Safety Rating System. Thanks.

Ian

Posted By Jenny R Harris
Pete,

Shaun is correct the HHSRS is a new system of assessing fitness of residential premises introduced by the Housing Act 2004, which is subject to scaled implementation.

HHSRS replaces the old Fitness Standard for housing. ODPM issued a circular before Xmas stating that the part of the Act relating to HHSRS will take effect on 6 April 2006.

It has been created for enforcement purposes, so it will be used by Environmental Health Officers (etc) to assess any risks to safety and health from any deficiencies identified in dwellings. The findings will inform decisions on enforcement action. The responsibility for rectifying hazards lies with the landlord. As you indicated there are many types of landlord now and the Act does not distinguish between them.

HHSRS is a risk assessment based approach to assessing risk to safety and health from a range of hazards, by applying a rather complicated numerical assessment system risks are rated Classes (Categories)and the Act prescribes how these are used to set a prescribed threshold for enforcement action.

I work for a Housing Association and as such we are fortunate in getting guidance on HHSRS from the Housing Corporation. The latest guidance tells us that we are not required to carry out full HHSRS surveys but we must take the princples of it into consideration in our Stock Condition Surveys.

ODPM have introduced a Decent Homes Standard which Registered Social Landlords such as Housing Associations must acheive - the latest guidance links the Decent Homes Standard to the HHSRS by stating that to achieve the stnadard we must ensure all homes are free of Class/Category 1 Hazards.

Hope this helps.

Jenny

Posted By Pete Stewart
Many thanks. The info provided has been a great help, just got to sit down with the surveyors and work out a format for the assessments.

Probably going to start with 10% of stock on each estate/road and clone it across to see where it leaves us and the work it generates.

Posted By JAI
Will this system apply to private landlords?

A friend of mine owns around 20 properties and lets them out
They do not fall under the new fire order (if it ever comes out)

But would be interested to know if they fall under Housing Health and Safety Rating System

Thanks Jai

Posted By Jenny R Harris
JAI,

The Housing Act 2004 applies to all residential premises regardless of whether there is a landlord and who the landlord is. It applies to ALL residential premises including owner occupied residential premises.

The aim of such housing law is to enable Govt, via local authorities to ensure there is habitable housing in the UK. HHSRS replaces the fitness standard, which I believe (but someone more knowledgable may know better) was created after the Second World War and led to large scale slum clearances of the worst housing followed by urban renewal, new towns and a plethora of other goodish urban planning issues. The system is enforcable - even in owner occupied premises - and is supported by a means tested grants system.

The Fitness standard (now HHSRS) started as a very basic standard e.g. running water, a roof, no rats, free from damp etc. But as standards rose, expectations rose, and it is now a very sophisticated system of assessment aiming to ensure we all, regardless of social standing and income, have access to housing that is safe, without risk to health and meets basic environmental sustainability targets.

You can have a look at the Housing Act via www.opsi.gov.uk if you need any more info.

Jenny

Posted By Mike Draper
Note to self: Pressing PgDn to see if anyone else has answered first might be a good idea ....