HMO Health and Safety Audits
A house of multiple occupation or ‘HMO’ is usually a property rented to 3 or more people who are not part of the same household, but share amenities such as a kitchen and bathroom. These are often house shares or student accommodation.
Because HMOs present unique health and safety risks, landlords have a legal duty to carry out regular health and safety audit to identify hazards and ensure effective controls are in place.
If you’re a landlord or manager of a HMO, get in touch with us Lanahan Risk Management Services today for support. We can help you meet your legal responsibilities.
Health and Safety concerns in HMOs
There are a variety of health and safety concerns which need to be considered in HMOs:
What is a HMO Health and Safety Audit?
A HMO health and safety audit/inspection is a comprehensive assessment of the property to identify hazards and assess risks. It places the focus not just on identifying risks, but also how to prevent accidents and amend any risks to health and safety by providing clear, actionable steps to ensure both resident safety and full landlord compliance.
In a HMO, we’d look at the specific risks mentioned above, such as gas and electrical risks, sanitation risks, damp/mould and more, to outline what hazards are present in your building, and how you can work to remove these hazards, ensuring total legal compliance as a landlord.
Are Health and Safety Audits in HMOs a legal requirement?
Health and Safety Audits are a legal requirement in HMOs. The Housing Act (2004) places certain responsibilities on a landlord or owner of a HMO to have a ‘health and safety competent person’ who carries out health and safety assessments.
What a HMO Health and Safety Audit includes
Our in-depth HMO Health and Safety Audit includes:
- 1Our focus on certain aspects of your HMO management system, including how you manage certain risks internally. We’ll outline the safety hazards and risks in your HMO, and advise regarding actionable steps to take to reduce risk, as well as continuing with best practices from a legal perspective.
- 2A detailed report that includes recommendations for necessary next steps in terms of increasing safety, outlining crucial areas that need attention right away in your HMO.
Using this report, you can be sure that you’re keeping your HMO safe for its occupants, as well as ensuring legal compliance.
How often should a HMO building have a Health and Safety Audit?
There is no legally specified timeframe which HMO owners or landlords should follow specifically for a health and safety audit, but we would recommend that an audit is conducted at least annually, with more frequent audits (bi-annual or quarterly) for higher-risk properties or those with previous issues.
Remember, regular audits reduce the likelihood of accidents, protect tenants, and limit landlord liability.
Health and Safety Audits for HMOs with Lanahan Risk Management Services
With Lanahan Risk Management services, you can rest assured that your HMO and its occupants are fully protected from harm. Safety in a living space should be the number one priority, which is why we carry out a comprehensive risk assessment, checking every potential area for concern.
Find out more about why you should outsource health and safety management.
Get in touch with us today for a Health and Safety Audit for your HMO.
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