HHSRS inspections: the hazards, now 21 instead of 29.

For twenty years the HHSRS listed 29 hazards. After a review, new regulations came into force on 23 June 2026, with new operating guidance replacing the 2006 version. Part 1 of the guidance says several hazards were "amalgamated, reducing the overall number of hazard categories covered by the HHSRS from 29 to 21". Five groups of old hazards were merged:

• Falls on the level now covers the old falls on level surfaces and falls associated with baths.
• Fire and explosions now covers the old fire and explosions hazards.
• Collisions, entrapment and ergonomics now covers the old collision and entrapment, and position and operability of amenities.
• Indoor air pollutants now covers the old uncombusted fuel gas, biocides, carbon monoxide and fuel combustion products, and volatile organic compounds.
• Domestic hygiene now covers the old food safety; domestic hygiene, pests and refuse; and personal hygiene, sanitation and drainage.

The other changes

• Three bands instead of ten. The old bands A to J are replaced by High, Medium and Low.
• Baseline indicators. A checklist of reasonable standards for each hazard. Anything that falls short is a deficiency to consider.
• Case studies. A new set replaces the old worked examples.

The duty is unchanged: councils must act on a Category 1 hazard and may act on a Category 2 hazard. These changes apply to England only. Wales has its own HHSRS regulations.

An HHSRS assessment asks two questions about each hazard the assessor scores.

How likely is harm in the next 12 months?

The assessor judges the chance of harm needing medical attention over the next 12 months, written as a ratio such as 1 in 100. They score it for the age group most at risk from that hazard, not the people who live there now: for example, people over 65 for excess cold, or children under 5 for electrical hazards. They compare the home with the national average for its age and type, from the hazard profiles in Part 2 of the guidance.

If harm happens, how serious is it likely to be?

The assessor then spreads the likely outcomes across four classes of harm. The landlord and agent guide gives examples:

• Extreme: for example lung cancer, paralysis below the neck or death.
• Severe: for example asthma, a mild stroke or a serious fracture.
• Serious: for example sleep disturbance, chronic severe stress or a mild heart attack.
• Moderate: for example a broken finger, slight concussion, or regular serious coughs or colds.

A formula turns the likelihood and the spread of harm into a score for each hazard. The guidance stresses that this is "a risk assessment process that relies on the professional judgement of a qualified assessor".

The guidance calls an HHSRS inspection "a whole dwelling assessment". For a house, the assessor considers everything from the public pavement, through the garden, into the home. For a flat, they start at the shared entrance of the block, or its forecourt or car park, and include the common parts the residents use.

• Faults first. The assessor looks for deficiencies relevant to all 21 hazards, then links each one to the hazards it affects. One fault can feed several: the guidance's example is a leaking roof, which adds to damp and mould growth and also to excess cold, because soaked loft insulation works less well.
• Not every hazard is scored. The guidance says it "would not be practical to score all 21 hazards on every inspection". Assessors score the hazards that need it, at least those obviously worse than average for that type and age of home.
• Mostly non-destructive. Some hazards, such as radon gas, need a test or a specialist, so the first assessment is only preliminary.
• Clear records. The guidance says assessors "should keep clear records of the property inspection and the HHSRS process", with the reasons for their scoring. Those records may be relied on in court.

If you are not a trained assessor

The guidance is clear that "Full assessments involving scoring should only be carried out by those trained in the HHSRS assessment process". Others can use the baseline indicators checklist in Part 2 for a first look, to decide whether a full assessment by a qualified assessor is needed.

That is where a good record helps: each fault, where it is and a photo, so a qualified assessor can judge it. For damp, see our guide to recording moisture meter readings.