Do you know there has been a report published recently on the Housing Health and Safety Rating System? Well, many people do not have any idea about it.
The system is referred by the acronym HHSRS, and it gives the assessment framework to the EHOs (Environment Health Officers) while they do the survey of properties and collect the data.
Why is there a need of HHSRS at all?
The reason is very simple. Authorities want to standardize the process of rating several problems while assessing the probable risks to occupants.
It will help the inspectors in making the assessment accurately. At the same time, it will help the landlords to appeal against the assessment if they are not satisfied with it.
The new system replaces the previous system of measuring housing fitness standards. The earlier system was quite a basic tool that used to check whether the conditions met a minimum level of standards or not.
Surveys expose the shortcomings of the current system
According to the Environment Health Offices, there are still various limitations that need to be arrested fast. It was revealed in the survey conducted to assess the effectiveness.
- Almost 97 percent people demand an update in the HHSRS, and most of them expect better examples and detailed guidelines.
- Almost 70% of the respondents need some evidence-based system.
- Half of the people feel that many hazards (which they felt in real life) are not covered by HHSRS
- Almost 75 percent people considered new system better than the earlier one.
- Only 25 percent think that the earlier system was simpler than the current system.
It is very essential to take regular reviews
Since there has been no review happened earlier; most of the EHOs want that the new system should have the mechanism of regular reviews.
When a system works for a long time without any review, it becomes outdated and loses relevance in many aspects.
It should not happen with the new system that is what all concerned people want.
Conclusion
Whatever has been said and suggestions given to strengthen the HHSRS need to be incorporated in future. It will make the new system usable and relevant for a long time.
Periodic reviews and amendments should be done based on the reviews and remarks given by inspectors.
More working examples and real-life cases should be included so that users find it useful.
It is important that landlords also read every bit of the report so that they understand the nitty-gritty of the subject. More aware landlords will extend more support to the EHOs.
As recommendations given to enrich the utility of the system get implemented, it will make the life of landlords and EHOs simple but also keep the system dynamic.
Some form of consistency will be there in the system. It will be a good-good situation.
If it happens, then the amendments will greatly help the landlords and make the life of EHOs easy. It is the call of the day!
