The Housing Act 2004 is a key piece of legislation that will protect the most vulnerable people in society and help to create a fairer and better housing market.
Online Presentation - A quick guide to the Housing Act 2004
available to download free in PDF format - see Related Pages
Introduction to the Act
The Act replaces the existing housing fitness standard contained in the Housing Act 1985 and introduces the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) as the new basis for local authority intervention in housing conditions.
This new risk assessment system will change the way local authorities assess housing conditions.
The Act also introduces a new duty on local authorities to operate a licensing scheme for certain Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). It will be compulsory to license larger, high risk HMOs.
The aims of the licensing regime are to ensure that HMOs are suitably equipped with amenities and facilities for the number of occupants residing in them, and are effectively managed by ‘fit and proper persons’.
New management regulations will apply to all HMOs, including ones that are too small to require a licence.
These measures represent some of the most important reforms of the private rented sector. They will raise management standards in the private rented sector, improve landlord management of their properties, as well as increasing the health and safety of dwellings.
Factsheets and Explanatory Notes
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) website has an overview of the Act, and a series of factsheets available to view online, covering the HHSRS, HMO licensing and the many other features of the Act.
The Act is accompanied by explanatory notes that are intended to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified, and who have no specialised knowledge of the matters dealt with in the Act.
These notes, as well as the full text of the Act, can be viewed online on the website of the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).
