Full HHSRS Practitioner Course - Housing Standards Academy

About Course

The Full HHSRS Practitioner Course is the complete competency pathway in the reformed Housing Health and Safety Rating System, from first principles through technical scoring, worked case studies, the new guidance suite, enforcement in practice, practical inspection skills and an assessed practitioner competency certificate.

Authored and assessed by San Nyunt, Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner BSc, MSc, CSTDB, AFPH, EHRB, MCIEH CEnvH.

Course Content

Module 1: What is HHSRS?
The entry point: what the HHSRS is, its legal basis in the Housing Act 2004, the four hazard categories and the 21 HHSRS2 profiles, the risk-based methodology, and the vulnerable occupant group.

Start here: course route and expectations
Lesson 1: The HHSRS — what it is, its evidence base, and why it exists

06:31
Lesson 2: The four hazard categories and an introduction to the 21 HHSRS hazard profiles

06:42
Lesson 3: Risk-based, not prescriptive — what this means for assessment and enforcement

05:38
Lesson 4: The vulnerable age group — definition and role in HHSRS assessments

04:19
Module 1 knowledge check

Module 2: Why HHSRS needed to change
Reform context: the stakeholder evidence base, the five headline changes, and how HHSRS2 connects to the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and the proposed Decent Homes Standard extension.

Module 3: The new guidance suite
The three-part Housing Health and Safety Inspection and Assessment Manuals, the ~80 new worked case studies, and the updated landlord and tenant guidance, with a guided navigation exercise.

Module 4: The new 21 hazard profiles
The reduction from 29 to 21 hazard profiles: the amalgamation criteria, the four principal groupings, and the combined fire and explosions hazard with its high-rise implications.

Module 5: The new banding system
The replacement of the ten-band A–J system with three fixed-threshold bands (High, Medium, Low): how the score sets the band, where professional judgement sits, and the enforcement implications of each band.

Module 6: HHSRS2 scoring and rating
The technical engine of the course: the full HHSRS2 scoring methodology from deficiency-to-hazard allocation through to tier placement, including harm class weightings, the likelihood score, the formula, and live calculator practice.

Module 7: Baseline indicators
The most significant innovation in HHSRS2: baseline indicators. What they are, what they are not, their use as a triage tool, and how to communicate them to landlords and tenants.

Module 8: Worked Examples (Nine Case Studies)
Eight official HHSRS case studies reviewed in full, from deficiency evidence to a defensible score, band and category, each with remedial scenarios. Grouped by hazard: falls and fire (Group A), excess cold and damp and mould (Group B), and domestic hygiene (Group C), preceded by an introduction to using the case studies.

Introduction to the Case Studies

12:00
A2.2 — Falling on Stairs

14:03
C16.1 — Domestic Hygiene

16:08
B11.1 — Damp and Mould Growth
B9.1 — Excess Cold

13:04
A4.9 — Fire and Explosions

12:38
A4.2 — Fire and Explosions

15:31
A3.5 — Falling Between Levels

11:52
A1.1 — Falls on the Level

14:24
C16.3 — Domestic Hygiene

13:18
Module 8 knowledge check

Module 9: Practical HHSRS2 inspection skills
Bridges the gap between classroom knowledge and the assessed real-world inspection. Covers pre-inspection preparation, systematic room-by-room technique, equipment selection and use, real-time recording, occupant and landlord engagement, personal safety, and the post-inspection workflow.

Module 10: Putting It Into Practice
A workplace-based practical assessment leading to the HHSRS2 Practitioner Competency Certificate: a full real-property inspection, a structured professional report, and a 30-minute assessor discussion. Assessor: San Nyunt, CEHP.

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About Course

Course Content

Module 1: What is HHSRS? The entry point: what the HHSRS is, its legal basis in the Housing Act 2004, the four hazard categories and the 21 HHSRS2 profiles, the risk-based methodology, and the vulnerable occupant group.

Start here: course route and expectations

Lesson 1: The HHSRS — what it is, its evidence base, and why it exists

Lesson 2: The four hazard categories and an introduction to the 21 HHSRS hazard profiles

Lesson 3: Risk-based, not prescriptive — what this means for assessment and enforcement

Lesson 4: The vulnerable age group — definition and role in HHSRS assessments

Module 1 knowledge check

Module 2: Why HHSRS needed to change Reform context: the stakeholder evidence base, the five headline changes, and how HHSRS2 connects to the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and the proposed Decent Homes Standard extension.

Lesson 1: The case for reform — nearly 20 years without substantial change

Lesson 2: What the stakeholder consultation told us

Lesson 3: The five headline changes

Lesson 4: The reform landscape: Renters’ Rights Act 2025, Decent Homes Standard, and HHSRS

Module 2 knowledge check

Module 3: The new guidance suite The three-part Housing Health and Safety Inspection and Assessment Manuals, the ~80 new worked case studies, and the updated landlord and tenant guidance, with a guided navigation exercise.

Lesson 1: Why new guidance and overview of the three-part structure

Lesson 2: Part 1 — An Introductory Guide

Lesson 3: Part 2 — A Technical Guide for Assessors

Lesson 4: The worked case studies — how to use them

Lesson 5: Part 3, and the separate Landlord and Tenant Guidance

Lesson 6: Guidance navigation exercise

Module 3 knowledge check

Module 4: The new 21 hazard profiles The reduction from 29 to 21 hazard profiles: the amalgamation criteria, the four principal groupings, and the combined fire and explosions hazard with its high-rise implications.

Lesson 1: The four amalgamations in detail

Lesson 2: Deficiency to profile mapping

Module 4 knowledge check

Module 5: The new banding system The replacement of the ten-band A–J system with three fixed-threshold bands (High, Medium, Low): how the score sets the band, where professional judgement sits, and the enforcement implications of each band.

Lesson 1: From A–J to three bands — the change and why it was made

Lesson 2: From score to band — where judgement sits

Lesson 3: Enforcement implications — Category 1 duty and Category 2 power

Lesson 4: Banding worked examples

Module 5 knowledge check

Module 6: HHSRS2 scoring and rating The technical engine of the course: the full HHSRS2 scoring methodology from deficiency-to-hazard allocation through to tier placement, including harm class weightings, the likelihood score, the formula, and live calculator practice.

Lesson 1: From deficiency to hazard — allocation review and the scoring foundation

Lesson 2: The likelihood score — RSP concept and annual probability

Lesson 3: The harm classes — definitions and weightings

Lesson 4: The formula — bringing it all together

Lesson 5: Band placement from score — fixed thresholds, not judgement

Lesson 6: Live calculator practice

Module 6 knowledge check

Module 7: Baseline indicators The most significant innovation in HHSRS2: baseline indicators. What they are, what they are not, their use as a triage tool, and how to communicate them to landlords and tenants.

Lesson 1: What baseline indicators are — concept and purpose

Lesson 2: What baseline indicators are not — critical distinctions

Lesson 3: Communicating baselines: landlords, tenants and partners

Module 7 knowledge check

Introduction to the Case Studies

A2.2 — Falling on Stairs

C16.1 — Domestic Hygiene

B11.1 — Damp and Mould Growth

B9.1 — Excess Cold

A4.9 — Fire and Explosions

A4.2 — Fire and Explosions

A3.5 — Falling Between Levels

A1.1 — Falls on the Level

C16.3 — Domestic Hygiene

Module 8 knowledge check

Lesson 1: Pre-inspection preparation

Lesson 2: Arriving on site

Lesson 3: Room-by-room inspection technique

Lesson 4: Equipment in practice

Lesson 5: Recording findings in the field

Lesson 6: Difficult situations on site

Lesson 7: Post-inspection workflow

Module 9 knowledge check

Module 10: Putting It Into Practice A workplace-based practical assessment leading to the HHSRS2 Practitioner Competency Certificate: a full real-property inspection, a structured professional report, and a 30-minute assessor discussion. Assessor: San Nyunt, CEHP.

Lesson 1: Putting it into practice

Lesson 2: The assessment report: structure and requirements

Lesson 3: The assessor discussion: how to prepare

Module 10 knowledge check

Pilot feedback and CPD reflection