Part 1Housing conditions
Chapter 1Enforcement of housing standards: general
New system for assessing housing conditions
2Meaning of “category 1 hazard” and “category 2 hazard”
1
In this Act—
“category 1 hazard” means a hazard of a prescribed description which falls within a prescribed band as a result of achieving, under a prescribed method for calculating the seriousness of hazards of that description, a numerical score of or above a prescribed amount;
“category 2 hazard” means a hazard of a prescribed description which falls within a prescribed band as a result of achieving, under a prescribed method for calculating the seriousness of hazards of that description, a numerical score below the minimum amount prescribed for a category 1 hazard of that description; and
“hazard” means any risk of harm to the health or safety of an actual or potential occupier of a dwelling or HMO which arises from a deficiency in the dwelling or HMO or in any building or land in the vicinity (whether the deficiency arises as a result of the construction of any building, an absence of maintenance or repair, or otherwise).
2
In subsection (1)—
“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the appropriate national authority (see section 261(1)); and
“prescribed band” means a band so prescribed for a category 1 hazard or a category 2 hazard, as the case may be.
3
Regulations under this section may, in particular, prescribe a method for calculating the seriousness of hazards which takes into account both the likelihood of the harm occurring and the severity of the harm if it were to occur.
4
In this section—
“building” includes part of a building;
“harm” includes temporary harm.
5
In this Act “health” includes mental health.