Keeping the standards up

A new housing standards system that replaces existing legislation and gives the Council greater power to deal with sub-standard housing was presented at Sevenoaks District Council’s Cabinet meeting last week (Thursday 16 February).

The Housing Act 2004, which comes into effect in April of this year, will see the implementation of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System – a new way of measuring housing standards, the first major change in nearly 80 years.

The rating system replaces the fitness standard, whereby houses were simply deemed fit or unfit for habitation, and introduces a system which identifies and rates a potential 29 hazards that could affect a property. Hazards that are assessed include excessive cold and heat, falls associated with stairs and steps, electrical hazards and crowding and space.

Each hazard is assessed against the risk to the occupant or potential occupant, so for instance stairs will be considered in relation to the elderly, whereas electrical hazards will be gauged in relation to very young children.

The Act will also give the Council new powers, such as issuing improvement notices and hazard awareness notices, to deal with hazards and to ensure the owner of the property fixes any problems that are identified.

Cllr Carol Clark, the Council Cabinet member with responsibility for housing, says: “The new Housing Health and Safety Rating System is a major change in the implementation of housing standards. Now rather than just saying whether a house is fit or unfit to live in, the Council can look more specifically at individual hazards to ensure a higher and safer standard of housing in the District."

The Housing Act 2004 comes into effect on 6 April 2006.

For more information on the Act and housing issues in general visit the Council's website www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/housing or contact the Council's housing team on 01732 227000.