The Government must implement the conclusions of the HHSRS review to raise standards in rental accommodation says the National Residential Landlords Association.
Commissioned by the previous government to examine the Housing, Health & Safety Rating System (HHSRS) the review wants the government to:
- Combine some of the hazards to make the system easier to enforce and understand;
- Publish baselines that can be used to make an initial assessment of whether a property contains serious hazards;
- Issue new statutory operating and enforcement guidance, along with a comprehensive set of new case studies;
- Release updated landlord and new tenant guidance, which will make the system more accessible, and can help guide self-assessments by landlords as to whether their properties contain serious hazards;
- The publication of specific guidance to support inspections of fire and explosion hazards, and associated minimum standards.
With the Government now pledging to extend the Decent Homes Standard to include private rental properties, the NRLA claims it is crucial that the new regulations required to update the HHSRS be introduced as soon as possible.
NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle says: “The NRLA supports the efforts to drive up standards across all rental housing, but it is crucial that the Government base its next steps on good quality evidence, and professional experience.
“The ambitions outlined in the Renters’ Rights Bill require a comprehensive and comprehensible set of standards. Implementing the findings of the HHSRS review would provide the basis for this and help to identify and deal with instances of non-decency within both the private and social rented sectors.
“It is essential that the effort and insight which contributed to the review is not wasted by allowing the findings to languish in a Whitehall filing cabinet.”
