Service

HHSRS baseline indicator surveys and Awaab’s Law readiness

The hazard checklist that came in with the June 2026 guidance, surveyed property by property and reported so a landlord can act on it and evidence that they did.

From £85per property — £85 to £120 by volume, Awaab’s Law investigation response £185

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System was overhauled in June 2026. Twenty-one hazards in four groups, three bands — High, Medium and Low — and, published alongside the guidance, a checklist of 117 numbered baseline indicators with measurable thresholds. Loft insulation depth. Room temperature at a stated external temperature. Lock type. Whether the bathroom extract actually ducts outside.

That checklist is the practical instrument, and it is the one most landlords have not yet worked through their stock with.

What I do, stated precisely.

I carry out preliminary property safety assessments against the published baseline indicators, room by room, with measurements and photographs, and report the results so they can be acted on and evidenced. The Government’s own guidance states that the baseline indicators “can be used by those who have not yet completed formal training in the HHSRS”. A full scored HHSRS assessment is a separate exercise requiring a trained assessor, and this practice does not currently offer it or hold itself out as offering it.

What the survey covers

Every applicable baseline indicator, recorded as met or not met
Damp, mould growth and condensation, with moisture readings
Excess cold — insulation, heating provision and measured temperatures
Falls on the level, on stairs, between levels and in bathrooms
Fire, means of escape, alarms and door condition as observed
Electrical hazards and domestic hygiene, sanitation and drainage
Security, lighting, noise and space
Photographic evidence against each indicator recorded as not met

Why it matters now

Two deadlines, and a penalty that lands at first action.

Awaab’s Law Phase 2, from 30 November 2026 — the duties extend well beyond damp and mould, to excess cold and heat, falls, structural collapse, fire and explosions, electrical hazards and domestic hygiene, with investigation deadlines counted in working days.
A £7,000 civil penalty at first action. Under section 6A of the Housing Act 2004 a local housing authority may impose a civil penalty on the responsible person when first taking action on a category 1 hazard, where it would have been reasonably practicable to remove it. No notice needs to have been served or breached first.
Competence is the landlord’s judgement. The regulations define a competent investigator as a person who, in the reasonable opinion of the lessor, has the necessary skills and experience. No qualification is mandated — which puts the burden of the judgement on the landlord, and makes an independent, evidenced record worth having.

Every statement on this page is taken from the HHSRS Operating Guidance, the HHSRS Enforcement Guidance, the Housing Act 2004 and the Awaab’s Law regulations. Sources available on request.

Who it is for

Social landlords and housing associations

Stock-wide or targeted baseline indicator surveys ahead of the November deadline, and independent verification of what your own teams have recorded.

Private landlords and managing agents

A hazard check before a tenancy, before a council inspection, or in response to a complaint — with the evidence to show what was found and when.

Ahead of November, not after it.

Tell me the stock, the number of properties and the timescale, and I’ll price it per property.

07956 754324 dan@dkennedyuk.com