HHSRS 2026: 21 hazards and three bands.

The 21 HHSRS hazards in 2026

The hazards are listed in Schedule 1 to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) Regulations 2005, as amended. Sixteen hazards carry on, one of them (structural collapse) with a wider description, and five new combined profiles replace thirteen of the old ones. Damp and mould growth stays the first hazard on the list.

High, Medium and Low bands

Each hazard still gets a numerical score from the likelihood of harm over the next 12 months and the spread of possible harms across the four classes. The score then falls into one of three bands set by regulation 7:

The four classes of harm keep their meaning but take new names: Class I is now Extreme, Class II Severe, Class III Serious and Class IV Moderate. The government's landlord and agent guide gives examples, from a broken finger or regular serious coughs and colds (moderate) to lung cancer or death (extreme).

Baseline indicators: a checklist for landlords

The 2026 operating guidance adds baseline indicators: reasonable standards a home can be expected to meet, from drainage and plumbing to ventilation, moisture control, heating and fire safety. The landlord and agent guide says anything below the baseline is generally a deficiency to be assessed, and prints a shortened self-assessment checklist in its Appendix A. There is no obligation to complete it, but it is a useful record of a property's condition.

For damp, the checklist asks whether the outside of the home is watertight and free of persistent dampness, whether drainage takes water away from the structure, and whether any room has observable damp or mould growth, or deteriorated finishes, over 5% of the wall or ceiling surface. Under ventilation, every habitable room needs an opening window, door or skylight, with openings over 5% of the room's floor area, and air extracted from kitchens, bathrooms and toilets must discharge directly outdoors.

Why it matters to landlords and agents

Councils use the HHSRS when they inspect a home and decide on enforcement under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004. Landlords do not need to be trained assessors, but the guide says they need to keep homes free of Category 1 hazards. Since 22 June 2026, section 6A of the Housing Act 2004, added by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, lets a council impose a civil penalty of up to £7,000 where it finds a Category 1 hazard in a qualifying rented home and it would have been reasonably practicable for the responsible person to remove it. For failing to comply with an improvement notice, the maximum civil penalty is £40,000 for offences on or after 1 May 2026.

Social landlords have a further reason to learn the new list. Awaab's Law uses the HHSRS hazards, and the government's guide says its requirements will extend to more of them, including excess cold and heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and explosions, and electrical and hygiene hazards.

Where PropertySurvey Pro fits

• HHSRS scoring on site: all 21 hazard profiles of the 2026 system, with your likelihood and spread of harm giving the score, the High, Medium or Low band and Category 1 or 2. How the scoring works.
• Evidence beside the score: link each hazard to the rooms where it presents, with photos and notes.
• Room by room and outside: condition, defects and maintenance for each room and elevation, with optional temperature and humidity readings.
• On site and offline: the PDF is built on your device before you leave.

Your judgements stay yours: the app never suggests a likelihood or a spread of harm, and the report states the statutory basis and who assessed it.