Inspecting a rented home
Good Standards in Private Rented Home
Private rented homes must meet minimum standards to ensure a safe and healthy environment for occupants and visitors. As a statutory requirement, landlords are responsible for maintaining these standards and taking action if they are not met. The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) outlines these standards.
Watch the videos on our Tips to help pick the right rented home page here. These have useful hints and tips when renting private accommodation. It covers what you should expect from your property and landlord, helping you make informed decisions.
Inspecting Homes
When we inspect homes, we carry out a risk-based assessment and consider the effect of any 'hazards' in the property. When we inspect homes, we carry out a risk-based assessment and consider the effect of any 'hazards' in the property. Some hazards are gradual in their effect, like dampness and cold, whilst others are quick, such as falls or burns.
Some hazards are more likely to result in a serious outcome. Examples of this include:
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Falling from a high window
Other instances are very unlikely to have such harmful consequences, like noise nuisance or poor layout of a bathroom.
No home is "risk free" and all have potential hazards (like stairs, electrical outlets, etc.) It is not possible or desirable to remove all hazards. The goal is to minimise the risk to health and safety either by removing the hazard altogether or minimising its effect.
In our inspections we will look at:
- penetrating damp: leaking gutters, roof, very poor pointing
- rising damp
- mould growth on walls, ceilings
- condensation
- leaking baths, waste pipes
- poorly maintained or installed gas appliances
- poor plasterwork
- condition of the kitchen and the cooking facilities
- secure and cleanable work tops
- space for fridge and storing food
- cooker
- condition of bath, wash hand basin and toilet
- condition of the staircase including tread lengths, riser heights and
- uniformity of treads/risers
- handrails
- balustrading
- lighting to stairwell/steps
- condition of the wiring and fittings
- number and siting of sockets
- siting of meters/consumer unit/fuse box
- structural condition of chimney, brickwork, roof, and floors etc.
If you have any concerns about the standard in a property that you rent privately, please contact the Housing Standards team on 01924 306665. In some cases, the Council may need to take enforcement action against landlords who don’t maintain their properties to a safe standard.
Click here for more information about what action can be taken.