The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is a method Councils use to assess health and safety risks in residential homes.
It examines 21 potential hazards – like damp and mould, fire safety, and electrical issues, and scores them based on how likely they are to cause harm and how severe that harm could be.
Understanding the HHSRS helps tenants recognise when their home may not be safe, and helps landlords understand what they are legally required to put right.
An inspection may take place to:
Inspections may be triggered by:
We’ll give landlords and tenants at least 24 hours’ notice of the visit. We’ll also need access to all areas of the property, including any outbuildings or shared spaces.
We’ll carry out a full inspection of the home, which will:
We assess and score each hazard based on: the likelihood of harm the potential severity of harm. This score determines whether the hazard is Category 1 or Category 2.
After the inspection, we will:
Councils have a number of methods available to them to resolve these issues. Decisions will be made in accordance with the Private Sector Housing enforcement policy, as well as statutory guidance, and can range from informal schedules to more formal enforcement notices.
Where formal notices are issued, a statement of reasons will be included, explaining why the Council have determined formal intervention is needed.
Please contact us on 023 9284 1797 or LandlordTenantSupport@portsmouthcc.gov.uk if:
