HHSRS Reform 2026: What's Changed

On 23 June 2026, the Housing Health and Safety Rating System was overhauled for the first time since 2006. Here's a focused summary of exactly what changed.

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), the framework local authorities use to assess hazards in residential properties, was substantially reformed in June 2026. If you deal with rental property, whether as a landlord, agent, or local authority officer, the changes affect how hazards are described, scored and enforced.

This is a focused summary of what actually changed. For a fuller explanation of how the HHSRS works overall, see our guide “What Is an HHSRS Assessment?”

When the changes took effect

The reforms were made by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 and apply to inspections beginning on or after 23 June 2026. Any inspection already under way before that date is assessed under the old system. The changes came in as part of the wider reform agenda alongside the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Importantly, the reforms were intended as a modernisation, not a raising of the bar. The underlying standard has not changed; a home still has to be safe. What has changed is how the system is laid out.

Change 1: 29 hazards reduced to 21

The prescribed list of hazards was cut from 29 to 21 by consolidating overlapping categories into broader headings. For example, explosions and structural collapse were absorbed into an expanded fire hazard definition. The risks themselves are still assessed; they are simply grouped more sensibly, making the system easier to apply.

Change 2: New scoring bands replace A–J

The old lettered bands (A to J) which meant little to anyone without HHSRS training, have been replaced with three plain descriptive bands based on numeric score:

• High, score of 1,000 or above

• Medium, score of 100 to under 1,000

• Low, score under 100

Anyone still using A–J language in documentation, repair logs, checklists or correspondence should update it to the new bands.

Change 3: A new civil penalty

A new civil penalty of up to £7,000 was introduced in connection with a Category 1 (High) hazard found on a local authority inspection. This sits alongside the existing civil penalty of up to £40,000 for relevant housing offences. The detail of how and when this penalty can be applied is set out in the regulations and guidance, and it generally follows a process rather than being a true “on the spot” fine, but the direction is clear: the financial consequences of serious hazards have increased.

Change 4: New baseline indicators

One of the most practically useful additions is the introduction of baseline indicators. These are a prescriptive but non-exhaustive list of proportionate building measures for achieving safety against each hazard, set out within the operating guidance. Each hazard profile now includes its relevant baseline indicators.

Two things are important to understand about them:

• They are not mandatory minimum standards, and they do not replace the assessor's professional judgement. The HHSRS remains a risk assessment, not a fixed checklist.

• Anything that falls below the baseline indicator, the optimum condition for a matter relevant to a hazard, should be regarded as a deficiency, which then feeds into the assessment.

For landlords and agents, the genuinely useful part is that the baseline indicators can be used as a checklist to self-audit a property without being a qualified HHSRS assessor. They give, for the first time, a clearer benchmark against which you can spot potential problems early before a council inspection does.

What has NOT changed

Crucially, the fundamental Category 1 / Category 2 distinction remains:

• A Category 1 hazard creates a duty on the council to take enforcement action.

• A Category 2 hazard gives the council power to act at its discretion.

The threshold between the two, and the enforcement tools available (improvement notices, prohibition orders, and so on), are unchanged.

What it means in practice

For landlords and agents, the practical message is that the standard you should be working to has not moved; if you keep homes warm, dry, safe and well-maintained, you are already meeting it. What matters more than ever is evidence: records of regular checks and prompt responses to reported problems, using the new band and harm-class language.

For local authority officers, the reforms change how assessments are described and scored, making consistency important during the transition, and independent HHSRS expertise can help on complex or contested cases.

How Surrey Property Licensing can help

We work with the reformed HHSRS from both sides, assessing and scoring hazards and understanding how enforcement decisions are reached. We help landlords, letting agents, property professionals and local authorities:

• Carry out HHSRS assessments under the reformed system.

• Identify and prioritise hazards before a local authority inspection.

• Provide independent expert input where an assessment or notice is contested.

• Offer specialist support and additional capacity to local authorities.

If you would like an HHSRS assessment or advice under the reformed system, get in touch for a free initial conversation.