Landlords in England are facing potential civil penalties of up to £7,000 when councils identify an initial Category 1 hazard in their properties. This follows the implementation of the revised Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) framework on 23 June.
Inventory Base estimates that the private rented sector's theoretical exposure to these penalties could reach £3.53 billion across England. This calculation assumes the maximum initial penalty is applied to 504,808 privately rented dwellings believed to contain at least one Category 1 hazard.
Sián Hemming-Metcalfe, operations director at Inventory Base, highlighted the importance of robust inspection records. She stated that a 15-minute property inspection should not be treated as an HHSRS risk assessment, warning that disconnected or inconsistent records could increase regulatory exposure for landlords and agents.
The updated HHSRS framework has streamlined the system, reducing the number of hazards from 29 to 21 and replacing the former A to J scoring bands with high, medium, and low ratings. A high-rated risk is now considered a Category 1 hazard, requiring councils to take enforcement action. Penalties for continuing or repeated breaches could rise to £40,000.
Common hazards identified include falls on stairs, affecting an estimated 244,032 privately rented dwellings, and excess cold in 130,748 homes. Damp affects 64,422 properties, while falls on the level are found in 48,445 and falls between levels in 36,040.