HHSRS review of residential housing requirements

Caitlin Martin
Other Services Insight by Caitlin Martin Social Media Assistant 11/03/2021

CADS is involved in the Housing, Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) review. Tenants, landlords & users have your say!

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HHSRS Review

CADS’ Housing Survey Team has partnered with RH Environmental Ltd alongside other organisations to deliver on the wide-ranging review of the Housing, Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), as part of a two-year project commissioned by central government (MHCLG).

In particular, CADS will be investigating how minimum housing standards could improve the process which could inform the future direction of the UK’s assessment of housing conditions, with implications for tenants, landlords and the English Housing Survey.

Have your say

The minimum housing standards is one of nine areas being reviewed and the research includes focus groups, 1-2-1 interviews and also online questionnaires for stakeholders. These include private rented sector landlords, EHPs, owner-occupiers, housing surveyors, housing professionals, legal experts, housing association landlords and HHSRS assessors. These stakeholder surveys are taking place between the 3rd – 31st March 2021.

Housing Review

There is a separate questionnaire for each of the four stakeholder groups - linked below:

1. EHPs, HHSRS assessors and other housing professionals survey

This survey (linked above) is aimed at those with a more in-depth knowledge of the HHSRS, its principles and assessment requirements. Stakeholders might include local authority private sector housing and homelessness teams, HHSRS assessors, trainers and/or academics, as well as other housing surveyors, legal professionals and tenant and occupier representative organisations.

2. Landlords survey

Surveying private and social rented sector landlords (linked above). Stakeholders may include local authority or housing association providers, lettings and managing agents, block managers or private and purpose-built student accommodation providers.

3. HHSRS digital assessment tools survey

While this survey (linked above) is aimed at all those individuals and organisations who have a working knowledge of the whole HHSRS assessment process, understand the technology and the future technological requirements eg local authority private and social sector housing teams, registered providers of social housing, other housing providers such as charitable organisations and private companies who deliver housing survey inspections.

4. Tenants survey

Finally, this survey (linked above) is aimed at private rented sector and housing association tenants and owner-occupiers.

Discover the English Housing Survey

A government-commissioned survey, the English Housing Survey records information about the population’s housing circumstances and the condition of the UK’s housing stock.

CADS’ Housing Survey team has played a crucial role in fulfilling the English Housing Survey since 2002.

English Housing Survey

What is the Housing Health & Safety Rating System and why is it needed?

The impact of poor housing conditions in England is estimated to cost the NHS £1.4bn in treatment and care costs, with additional burdens to wider society. The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is the tool used to evaluate how housing conditions can impact health and wellbeing and is part of the English Housing Survey to assess the condition of housing stock across the country. This review by MHCLG intends to improve the rating system, increase transparency and understanding, particularly between tenants and landlords of minimum acceptable conditions.

RHE has been appointed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to review the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) over a two-year research project. Covering guidance, training and digital assessment tools. The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) has been in operation for around 15 years, advancing building technology and knowledge of risks and hazards during that time.

Since 2012 the CADS Housing Survey team has played a key role in fulfilling the English Housing Survey (EHS) as part of a consortium led by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the Building Research Establishment (BRE). With a team of 150 specialist housing surveyors, CADS undertakes over 6,000 physical home inspections each year.

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