Landlords Guide To Safety Rating System

When a local authority identifies a serious health and safety hazard under HHSRS it can order the landlord to make immediate improvements to remove the hazard, or even shut the property down altogether. This fact sheet, prepared by the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes gives details.

What does the HHSRS include?

There are twenty-nine categories of hazard included in the HHSRS. These include:

* Excess cold/heat
* Damp and mould growth
* Pollutants such as asbestos, carbon monoxide and lead
* Lack of space, security or lighting, or excessive noise
* Poor hygiene, sanitation or water supply
* Accidents such as falls, electric shocks, fires, burns and scalds
* Collisions, explosions, structural collapse

How does the rating scheme work?

Each hazard is given a score rating based on the likelihood of it causing major harm to the most vulnerable person who might typically occupy the dwelling.

Excess cold is the most common hazard found by local authorities when they carry out HHSRS assessments. Excess cold is a particular issue for older properties which may not be well insulated or which lack modern heating systems.

What are the landlords responsibilities?

As a landlord you should make sure that all your properties are free from the risks to health and safety identified in the HHSRS.

In the case of excess cold, you should make sure that your tenants can afford to heat their homes. No tenant should be at risk of ill-health or discomfort because their home is too cold.

The best way to prevent your properties being identified as a risk to your tenants because of excess cold is to improve the insulation and heating system. That way your properties will need less energy - and money - to keep at a comfortable temperature.

Improving the insulation of your properties will help to keep the heat in. In particular, by installing cavity wall insulation or solid wall insulation you would be able to cut the heat loss down substantially. Similarly, installing or topping up the roof insulation can reduce heating bills by up to 110 pounds.

You can also look at installing a new, more efficient heating system with good programmeable controls and thermostatic radiator valves. Your tenants will get more control over their heating and a more comfortable living environment. Your options might include: a separate heating programmer, room thermostats, a combined programmable room thermostat, a cylinder thermostat as well as thermostatic radiator valves.

If your tenants are on benefits in England, you may be eligible for grant funding for energy efficiency measures under the government's Warm Front programme of up to 2,700 pounds. Under Warm Front, privately rented properties can benefit from insulation and even a whole new heating system on a free or nearly-free basis.

Grants are available under the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme, and the criteria are very similar to those in England. However, the value of the grant could be as much as 3,600 pounds and if your tenant is living in Wales and is over 80 years old, your tenant won't need to be in receipt of any benefits to automatically qualify for HEES Plus.

If your tenant is receiving any of the following benefits you could receive a Warm Front or HEES grant to improve the energy efficiency of your home.

1. Householders aged 60 or over in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:
* Income Support
* Council Tax Benefit
* Housing Benefit
* Job Seekers Allowance (income-based)
* Pension Credit

2. Householders with a child under 16, or pregnant women with maternity certificate MAT-B1, in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:
* Income Support
* Council Tax Benefit
* Housing Benefit
* Job Seekers Allowance (income-based)
* Pension Credit

3. Householders in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:
* Working Tax Credit (with an income of less than 15,460 pounds, which must include a disability element)
* Disability Living Allowance
* Child Tax Credit (with an income of less than 15,460 pounds)
* Housing Benefit (which must include a disability premium)
* Income Support (which must include a disability premium)
* Council Tax Benefit (which must include a disability premium)
* War Disablement Pension (which must include a mobility supplement or Constant Attendance Allowance)
* include a mobility supplement or Constant Attendance Allowance)
* Attendance Allowance