HHSRS Transition Course (Foundation)

About Course

The reformed Housing Health and Safety Rating System is here. From 23 June 2026 the way local housing authorities in England assess housing conditions changed: a streamlined set of 21 hazard profiles, a clear High, Medium and Low banding, updated operating guidance in three parts, and a new set of baseline indicators. This Foundation course is your bridge into the reformed system.

Written and assessed by San Nyunt, Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner and housing standards specialist, the Transition Course explains what the HHSRS is, why it was reformed, and exactly how the new system works, in plain, practical terms grounded in the official guidance.

What this course covers

What the HHSRS is, and its legal basis in Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004
Why the system was reformed, and what has actually changed
The 21 hazard profiles, and how they replace the previous 29
The new High, Medium and Low banding that replaced the old scoring bands
The baseline indicators, and how to use them in practice
How an HHSRS assessment connects to the duty to act on Category 1 hazards

Who it is for

Environmental health and housing officers, EHPs, private-sector housing teams, landlords and managing agents, and anyone who needs to understand the reformed HHSRS with confidence.

CPD-aligned. Guidance-verified against the HHSRS Operating Guidance (2026), Parts 1, 2 and 3.

CPD reflection

Before completing the course, take two minutes to record a short reflection for your own CPD record:

What is the main change from the old HHSRS that you need to remember?
How will this affect the way you inspect, advise, manage or respond to housing conditions?
What further training do you need next: Refresher or Practitioner?

This reflection is for your own CPD record. It helps turn the course from passive learning into evidence of professional development.

Course version and guidance check

Course version: 2026.1
Guidance checked: against GOV.UK HHSRS Operating Guidance and Enforcement Guidance published on 23 June 2026.

Explain what the HHSRS is, its legal basis in the Housing Act 2004, and why it is a risk-based system rather than a minimum standard
Identify the four hazard categories and the 21 HHSRS2 hazard profiles
Distinguish a deficiency from a hazard, and understand the Category 1 duty to act and the vulnerable occupant group
Describe why the HHSRS was reformed and the five headline changes in HHSRS2
Explain how HHSRS2 connects to the Renters
’
Rights Act 2025 and the Decent Homes Standard
Define baseline indicators and how they differ from a full HHSRS assessment
Use baseline indicators to triage, prioritise and communicate with landlords and tenants

Course Content

Module 1: What is HHSRS?
The entry point for all learners. Establishes what the HHSRS is, its legal basis in the Housing Act 2004, the four hazard categories and an introduction to the 21 HHSRS2 hazard profiles, the risk-based methodology, and the concept of the vulnerable occupant group.

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

06:07
Lesson 2: The four hazard categories and an introduction to the 21 HHSRS hazard profiles

06:40
Lesson 3: Risk-based, not prescriptive — what this means for assessment and enforcement

05:39
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
Provides reform context before learners engage with technical content. Sets out 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: Baseline indicators
Covers the most conceptually significant innovation in HHSRS2: baseline indicators. What baselines are, what they are not, their use as a triage tool, how to communicate them to landlords and tenants, and how they integrate into a risk-based inspection strategy.

Student Ratings & Reviews

No Review Yet

About Course

What this course covers

Who it is for

CPD reflection

Course version and guidance check

What Will You Learn?

Course Content

Module 1: What is HHSRS?
The entry point for all learners. Establishes what the HHSRS is, its legal basis in the Housing Act 2004, the four hazard categories and an introduction to the 21 HHSRS2 hazard profiles, the risk-based methodology, and the concept of 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
Provides reform context before learners engage with technical content. Sets out 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: Baseline indicators
Covers the most conceptually significant innovation in HHSRS2: baseline indicators. What baselines are, what they are not, their use as a triage tool, how to communicate them to landlords and tenants, and how they integrate into a risk-based inspection strategy.

Lesson 1: What baseline indicators are — concept and purpose

Lesson 2: What baseline indicators are not — critical distinctions

Lesson 3: Using baselines for triage — the officer perspective

Lesson 4: Communicating baselines — landlords, tenants, and partners

Module 3 knowledge check

CPD reflection and next step

About Course

What this course covers

Who it is for

CPD reflection

Course version and guidance check

What Will You Learn?

Course Content

Module 1: What is HHSRS? The entry point for all learners. Establishes what the HHSRS is, its legal basis in the Housing Act 2004, the four hazard categories and an introduction to the 21 HHSRS2 hazard profiles, the risk-based methodology, and the concept of 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 Provides reform context before learners engage with technical content. Sets out 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: Baseline indicators Covers the most conceptually significant innovation in HHSRS2: baseline indicators. What baselines are, what they are not, their use as a triage tool, how to communicate them to landlords and tenants, and how they integrate into a risk-based inspection strategy.

Lesson 1: What baseline indicators are — concept and purpose

Lesson 2: What baseline indicators are not — critical distinctions

Lesson 3: Using baselines for triage — the officer perspective

Lesson 4: Communicating baselines — landlords, tenants, and partners

Module 3 knowledge check

CPD reflection and next step

Student Ratings & Reviews

Module 1: What is HHSRS?
The entry point for all learners. Establishes what the HHSRS is, its legal basis in the Housing Act 2004, the four hazard categories and an introduction to the 21 HHSRS2 hazard profiles, the risk-based methodology, and the concept of the vulnerable occupant group.

Module 2: Why HHSRS needed to change
Provides reform context before learners engage with technical content. Sets out 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: Baseline indicators
Covers the most conceptually significant innovation in HHSRS2: baseline indicators. What baselines are, what they are not, their use as a triage tool, how to communicate them to landlords and tenants, and how they integrate into a risk-based inspection strategy.