Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)

Property Standards

Landlords are required to satisfy the RSO that they are able to identify and eliminate the most common unacceptable hazards in their properties. This appendix is a guide to the hazards and serves only as an introduction. It also provides an indication as to what standards are expected for fire safety, security, and hygiene and waste disposal in a property that is managed well

Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)

The HHSRS is a method of risk assessing hazards that may be found in residential accommodation. Landlords should ensure that their properties and boundaries are maintained, as reasonably practicable, free of any avoidable or unnecessary hazards as listed in the table below.

The minimum requirement of the Scheme is that there should be no known Category 1 hazards. These are serious hazards for which local authorities must require appropriate remedial action. There are 29 hazard areas identified, and Appendix X gives more detail about the types of hazard covered and the risks presented to occupiers.

PHYSIOLOGICAL / PSYCHOLOGICAL / INFECTION / ACCIDENTS
Damp & mould growth / Crowding and space / Domestic hygiene, pests & refuse / Falling between levels
Excess cold / Lighting / Personal hygiene sanitation & drainage / Falls associated with baths etc
Excess heat / Noise / Food safety / Falling on level surfaces
Volatile Organic Compounds / Entry by intruders / Water supply / Falling on stairs
Biocides / Electrical hazards
Lead / Flames, hot surfaces
Asbestos & manufactured mineral fibres / Structural collapse and falling elements
Carbon Monoxide & fuel combustion products / Position & operability of amenities
Uncombusted fuel gas / Fire
Radiation / Explosions
Collision and entrapment

Decent Homes

Ideally, the property should meet the Government’s Decent Homes Standard (see below) gives more information on this standard and the relevant criteria.

Fire safety precautions

Fire precautions may typically include:

• a fire escape route with a minimum of 30 minutes fire resistance
• an automatic fire alarm system
• an emergency lighting system sited to protect the routeof escape

• whole stair lighting, where one switch illuminates all the lights in the stairway
• fire escape windows

• fire extinguishers

The minimum fire safety requirement for single household / single tenancy property is the provision of sealed unit 10 year battery operated smoke detectors in the main circulation areas on each floor. It is not acceptable to provide smoke detectors where the battery can be accessed and removed. To qualify for Premier level accreditation, the requirement is the provision of a mains wired interlinked fire detection system with detectors that comply with BS 5446 Part 1 and sited to protect the route of escape in case of fire. In most circumstances, this will be the hallway and each landing in the dwelling, to a minimum standard of Grade D category LD3 as defined in BS 5839 Part 6: 2004. Such systems should be properly maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

For Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO’s), a higher standard of fire detection and protection is required. Reference should be made to the Local Council’s guidance on standards for HMO’s for any property where 2 or more households occupy the dwelling and share some or all of the amenities.

Any Fire alarm and emergency lighting systems should be routinely checked and maintained by a competent approved electrician, and inspection certificates should be provided and retained.

All exit routes within a dwelling such as hallways, landings and staircases, so far as they are under the control of the landlord and as far as reasonably practical, should be well maintained, safe, unobstructed and free of fixtures and fittings to enable evacuation of the dwelling in the event of fire.

The Furniture and Furnishings Fire Safety Regulations 1988 require that all upholstered furniture provided by the landlord in rented accommodation must be fire resistant and pass tests for fire safety. Furniture owned by a tenant is not accountable.

Security measures

The front and rear entrance doors and frames should be of robust, external quality hardwood or period softwood, a minimum of 44mm thick and hung on substantial hinges. Thin plywood panels will not be accepted.

UPVC doors with a multi-point locking system will be an acceptable alternative.

Locks to front and rear doors should be halfway up the door, with a 5/6 pin cylinder mortice lock so that exit and/or escape is possible without the use of a key. All locks to meet the strength requirements of BS3621:1980 – Thief Resistant Locks. Any glazed area or letter box must be remote from the lock (except where the glazing is laminated security glass). Where UPVC doors are already fitted, the lock should be fitted with a cylinder having a thumb turn on the inside face, so that a key is not necessary to exit the premises.

If the house has patio doors, they should be fitted with an anti-lifting device, and either a multi-locking system or patio door locks to the top and bottom of the sliding door.

All windows to the ground floor and to other floors that could be accessed from external walls or outbuildings should be fitted with window locks to all opening lights.

If present, burglar alarm systems should have a 20 minute cut out and a key holder nominated to the local authority.

Hygiene and waste disposal

All facilities for the storage, preparation and cooking of food should be capable of being readily cleaned and being maintained in a clean and hygienic state by the tenants.

All floor coverings in kitchens, bathrooms and W.C’s should be capable of being readily cleaned with suitable domestic disinfectant products.

All dwellings should be provided with suitable refuse disposal facilities sufficient for the number of occupants, as advised by the local authority’s waste collection service.

Landlords should inform tenants of the need for proper refuse management and the need to comply with any local requirements relating to the separation of recyclable material from the domestic waste stream.

All appropriate steps should be taken to enforce all tenancy agreement clauses relating to proper refuse disposal.

Thermal Comfort and Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency measures are becoming increasingly important in the property market, and are subject to government regulation through the Energy Performance Certificate. The Accreditation Scheme operators are committed to improving the thermal comfort of the private rented housing stock, and have agreed the following standards with the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre (EEAC);

INSULATION

Any roof space, void or loft must have fitted a minimum of 270mm (10.5”) British Standard thermal insulation quilt to all areas.

Properties with cavity walls should have suitable cavity wall insulation. Where there are no cavity walls, or where the roofspace has been converted into a room and there is no existing insulation, then you should EITHER strip down the ceiling to the roof spars and reboard with a proprietary thermal insulation board, OR apply a min. 10mm ‘Sempatep’ or similar proprietary brand insulation material to the ceiling and internal wall surfaces (where the wall is an outside wall).

All external doors (and openings in doors), windows and skirting boards to outside walls should be fitted with a good quality draught-proofing material.

HEATING

The minimum requirement for accreditation is that the property must have a suitable whole house heating system. This can be gas central heating with a radiator in each habitable room, or mains wired fixed storage heaters in each habitable room.

Hot water can be provided by a multi-point / combi gas boiler or immersion heater.

To qualify for Premier level accreditation, the premises should be centrally heated via a SEDBUK ‘A’ or ‘B’ rated gas condensing boiler. New installations and conversions must always be to this standard, and should run both the heating and hot water systems. If there is no gas supply to the premises, you should contact the EEAC for advice on energy efficient alternatives. All but one of the radiators must be fitted with individual thermostatic controls. One of the radiators in the communal areas should be selected as the one without the thermostat.

Where gas central heating is impractical, each habitable room should be fitted with an energy efficient electric heater, preferably an Economy 7 storage heater.

Hot water cylinders must be fitted with a thermostat and must be pre-insulated or provided with a suitable ‘jacket’. Water pipes should be suitably lagged, particularly in the roof space.

APPLIANCES, ETC.

All ‘white goods’ (e.g. refrigerators, fridge/freezers, washing machines) should be ‘A’ rated appliances - if not now, then on replacement.

A microwave should be provided in every kitchen.

Kettles should be of the ‘rapid-boil’ type.

All internal light fittings should be fitted with energy-efficient light bulbs.

Landlords must complete and return a Home Efficiency Check questionnaire to the EEAC. The Council will not issue a certificate of compliance for accreditation without viewing a copy of the Home Energy Efficiency Report from the EEAC.

Summary

There are two levels of property standard that will be considered for accreditation;

1. Standard Accreditation – this is an entry-level accreditation for properties that may not meet the Government’s Decent Homes Standard, but are free of Category 1 hazards and meet the Scheme’s minimum requirements.
2. Premier Accreditation – this is where the property meets the Government’s Decent Homes Standard and achieves a good standard of thermal comfort and energy efficiency.

The levels can be summarised as shown in the table on the following page;

PROPERTY STANDARD REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCREDITATION

Standard Level Accreditation minimum requirements:- / Premier Level Accreditation Requirements
There should be no known Category 1 hazards as assessed under HHSRS. / Compliance with the Decent Homes Standard (i.e. no Category 1 hazards, good standard of repair, modern amenities and good energy efficiency)
The provision of sealed unit 10 year battery operated smoke detectors in the main circulation areas on each floor. It is not acceptable to provide smoke detectors where the battery can be accessed and removed. / The provision of a mains wired interlinked fire detection system with detectors that comply with BS 5446 Part 1, and sited in the hallway and on each landing in the dwelling, to a minimum standard of Grade D category LD3 as defined in BS 5839 Part 6: 2004.
HMO’s are required to meet a higher standard.
The property must have a suitable whole house heating system. This can be gas central heating with a radiator in each habitable room, or mains wired fixed storage heaters in each habitable room.
Hot water can be provided by a multi-point gas boiler or immersion heater. / The premises should be centrally heated via a SEDBUK ‘A’ or ‘B’ rated gas condensing boiler, which should run both the heating and hot water systems.
Where gas central heating is impractical, each habitable room should be fitted with an energy efficient electric heater, preferably an Economy 7 storage heater.
5-Lever mortice locks to front and rear entrance doors; Window Locks to all ground floor and externally accessible windows. Anti-lift device to patio doors. / The front and rear entrance doors and frames should be of robust, external quality hardwood or period softwood, a minimum of 44mm thick and hung on substantial hinges. Locks should be halfway up the door, with a 5/6 pin cylinder mortice lock so that exit and/or escape is possible without the use of a key. All locks to meet the strength requirements of BS3621:1980 – Thief Resistant Locks
UPVC doors with a multi-point locking system will be an acceptable alternative.
Any roof space, void or loft must have fitted a minimum of 270mm (10.5”) British Standard thermal insulation quilt to all areas.
Properties with cavity walls should have suitable cavity wall insulation.
All internal light fittings should be fitted with energy-efficient light bulbs.
Hot water cylinders and exposed water pipes should be suitably lagged, particularly pipe work in the roof space.
Home Efficiency Check questionnaire completed and returned. / As basic level, plus all additional recommendations in the section ‘Thermal Comfort and Energy Efficiency’.
An agreed programme of action to comply with the recommendations of a Home Energy Efficiency report provided by the EEAC.

Assessing Category 1 Hazards

Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)

The HHSRS is a method of risk assessing hazards that may be found in residential accommodation. Landlords should ensure that their properties and boundaries are maintained, as reasonably practicable, free of any avoidable or unnecessary hazards. The idea behind the Rating System is that local authorities will give priority to dealing with the greatest risks to health and safety in dwellings.

When local authority officers inspect a dwelling they will look for any risk of harm

to an actual or potential occupier of a dwelling, which results from any deficiency

that can give rise to a hazard. They will judge the severity of the risk by thinking

about the likelihood of an occurrence that could cause harm over the next twelve

months, and the range of harms that could result. The local authority officer will

make these judgements by reference to those who, mostly based on age, would be

most vulnerable to the hazard (VAG), even if people in these age groups may not actually be living in the property at the time. This means even a vacant dwelling can be assessed and that if the dwelling is rated as safe for those considered to be most

vulnerable it will be safe for anyone. The HHSRS score is calculated following an

inspection.

Officers will use the formal scoring system within HHSRS to demonstrate the

seriousness of hazards that can cause harm in dwellings. The scoring system for

hazards is prescribed by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England)

Regulations 2005 (SI 2005 No 3208) and is also set out in the statutory HHSRS

Operating Guidance.. If there are risks to the health or safety of occupants that

the officer thinks should be dealt with, owners and landlords will have to put

matters right. If the officer finds a serious hazard (i.e. one in the higher scoring

bands A – C, called a Category 1 hazard in the Housing Act 2004) the local authority will be under a duty to take some form of action to ensure that the hazard is put right.

The minimum requirement of the Accreditation Scheme is that there should be no known Category 1 hazards. This is also a requirement of the Decent Homes Standard. There are 29 hazard areas identified, and the following pages give more detail about the types of hazard covered and the risks presented to occupiers.

No. / Hazard
Description / VAG
(Yrs) / Factors influencing likelihood of presence of Category 1 Hazard
1 / Dampness and Mould Growth / <14 / House mites; Mould / fungal spores in 1 or more habitable rooms other than kitchen / bathroom; Damp staining to 1 or more rooms.
2 / Excess Cold / 65+ / Poor energy efficiency; Draughts; Poor insulation; Poor or inadequate heating; Respiratory illness / asthma (tenant)
3 / Excess Heat / 65+ / Solar heat gain; Poor ventilation; Excessive insulation; non-programmable heating
4 / Asbestos and MMF / All / Ongoing exposure to Asbestos or mineral fibres – properties built 1920-45 or 1946-79; unsealed asbestos/mineral fibres in accessible position/in disrepair
5 / Biocides / All / Exposure to chemicals used in timber and mould growth treatments; Misuse of biocide products
6 / Carbon Monoxide / Fuel Combustion / 65+ / Exposure to carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide or sulphur dioxide from poor combustion of gas, oil or solid fuel; flue less appliance; poor maintenance/repair of appliances; poor ventilation
7 / Lead / <3 / Lead pipes (dwellings pre-1970); Damaged old paintwork
8 / Radiation (Radon) / 60-64 / No radon test; High radon reading with no remediation; unsealed cellar/ground floor; poor ventilation/ air circulation
9 / Uncombusted Fuel (Escape of fuel gas) / All / Threat of asphyxiation by escape of mains gas/LPG – Detectable odour
10 / Volatile Organic Compounds / All / Exposure to VOC emitting material at warm temperatures e.g. UFFI Insulation, chipboards, Paints glues and solvents, fuel combustion / poor ventilation
11 / Crowding and Space / All / Cramped living conditions; not enough bedrooms for occupants
12 / Entry by Intruders / All / Lack of security to doors/windows to prevent/deter intruder access
13 / Lighting / All / Inadequate natural light/ excess artificial lighting
14 / Noise / All / Exposure to excessive noise from external/internal source
15 / Hygiene, Pests, Refuse / All / Poor design/layout/construction making cleaning difficult; Access for pests; poor refuse storage facilities
16 / Food Safety / All / Inadequate provision of and facilities for storage, preparation and cooking of food
17 / Personal Hygiene, sanitation and drainage / <5 / Risk of infection/ stress from inadequacies in provision of personal washing facilities, toilets, drainage and clothes washing facilities
18 / Water Supply / All / Risk of infection/illness from a private water supply.
19 / Falls associated with baths etc / 60+ / Slippery bath/shower surfaces; lack of space in bathroom; poor positioning of taps/controls/towel rail etc
20 / Falls on level surfaces etc / 60+ / Falls on level floors/paths etc or changes in level <300mm from poor/uneven, slippery, defective or poorly lit surfaces
21 / Falls on Stairs etc / 60+ / Changes in level of >300mm from poor repair, steep or narrow stairs, poor lighting, inadequate handrail, low headroom
22 / Falls between levels / <5 / Falls from one level to another >300mm – e.g. from window/balcony, external walls/patio’s etc
23 / Electrical Hazards / <5 / Shock and burns from exposure to electricity – poorly maintained electrical installations/appliances; overloading of sockets; exposed installations;
24 / Fire / 60+ / Exposure to uncontrolled fire/smoke – defective/poorly maintained electrics/appliances; no detectors; non-resistant furniture
25 / Flames. Hot Surfaces, etc / <5 / Burns/ scalds from hot exposed flame/fire, liquids, cooking, heating, bathing
26 / Collision / Entrapment / <5 / Low ceilings/headroom (16 yrs +); collision with windows/
Doors/walls; trapping body parts
27 / Explosions / All / Risk of exposure to explosion/blast debris – poor gas installation/appliances; use of LPG in tanks/ heaters
28 / Position/Operability of amenities etc / 60+ / Risk of physical strain from poor layout/use of functional space; poor location of fixtures/fittings/sockets etc
29 / Structural Collapse & Falling Elements / All / Exposure to falling/collapsed elements of structure due to poor fixing, disrepair or structural failure internally and externally.