HHSRS - Would a self-assessment version be useful to landlords?

[gh329]

Hi,
I am a student studying for a degree in Environmental Health. I am doing a project about developing a self-assessment version of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System which landlords and tenants can use to assess the hazards in their properties. It will be focusing on damp and mold and excess cold. After details of the hazard have been filled in the questionnaire will return information about how the hazard can be mitigated and the relevant legislation.

I desperately need to get the opinions of landlords about whether a self-assessment questionnaire is needed and whether it would be useful. If you have an opinion on this please let me know, whether you think it's a good idea or a bad idea all opinions are valid and useful to me.

Thanks

[Dave A]

From a personal perspective, where condensation is involved, rarely do tenants accept any responsibility for their own actions. I.e. they require landlord to re paint, change windows, improve insulation, but are not prepared to have windows open whilst they dry their washing over the radiators. I would not accept any form of assessment that they carried out whatsoever.

That might have come over a bit strong, but i have had 2 cases of this in the past 12 months, both refused to accept that condensation is the problem, not rising damp and that their lifestyle is connected.

Dave

[gh329]

Great thanks for your response. I am hoping the tool will be useful in the situation you describe as landlords could direct tenants to the tool online and it will provide them with information about their legal obligations not to make hazards worse. It will also inform the tenants of things they should be doing to reduce the impact of the hazard such as opening windows etc. Advice may fall on deaf ears when it comes from one source but if it comes from an independent source as well tenants may be more likely to listen.

[Dave A]

Fair enough, let us have a look when you have something.