That’s a dramatic headline we know and it does not indicate that renting a property statistically carries health warnings. However since the introduction of our HHSRS awareness, we have notched up some interesting numbers.
In March, the first month following our training to recognise anything within a property which may give rise to housing health and safety concerns, we completed a little over 1000 inspections and reports of which 16% included an advisory note relating to at least one element of a property which we classed as a HHSRS violation. This means that the inventory clerk identified at least one hazard within the property which might need attention.
As a word of caution, this does not mean that 16% of properties inspected were dangerous; it did mean however that there was at least one mention of a property’s make-up which could be rated as a category 1 or category 2 hazard, and if a category 1 hazard, then in turn this could mean the need for immediate action.
We are now just over a week into our second month and of 318 inspections the percentage is running at 15%, which is 49 inspections and reports listing again at least one hazard in those properties.
Now most reports will note innocuous concerns, these mainly falling within the category 2 domain, however there are some which carry category 1 hazards and on the odd occasion there are multi-category 1 and 2 hazards.
What’s the point of all of this? In our case it is to advise landlords of potential enforcement orders against them should councils on inspection issue enforcement orders at £300.00 a time.
Our view is that as we are already inspecting properties, and in great detail, we might as well give landlords and their agents the heads-up should we see something of concern. It does not mean that landlords should run out and create repairs or alter properties, unless they feel it’s in theirs and their tenant’s interest.
For further information about this subject please read some of the previous blogs with links to in-depth explanations of the HHSRS.