The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026
Adjusted the transitional inspection date in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System from 22 June to 23 June 2026 to correct a drafting error.
These Regulations amend the transitional provisions related to housing health and safety inspections in England by changing a reference date.
They ensure that the transitional rules for how dwellings are assessed by local housing authorities align with the commencement date of June 23, 2026.
The instrument applies to the Secretary of State and local authorities responsible for enforcing housing standards under the Housing Act 2004.
Arguments For
The instrument states it was created to rectify a specific defect in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/571).
The explanatory note asserts that the previous regulations incorrectly cited 22nd June 2026 in a transitional provision, whereas the actual commencement date for those substantive changes is 23rd June 2026.
Proponents within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government suggest the change is necessary to ensure the transitional rules for housing inspections align accurately with the date the new rating system standards become legally effective.
Arguments Against
Legal practitioners might note that the error in the original Statutory Instrument necessitated a second instrument (S.I. 2026/629) to be issued free of charge to correct a drafting oversight.
Affected parties, such as local authority inspectors, may face confusion if they relied on the 22nd June date specified in the initial 2026 amendment before this correction was promulgated.
Citation, commencement and extent
- -(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026.
- (2) These Regulations come into force on 21st June 2026.
- (3) These Regulations extend to England and Wales.
This section establishes the official name of the regulations and sets the date they become legally active as 21st June 2026.
While the regulations extend to England and Wales, the substantive impact is limited to England based on the title and underlying 2005 regulations.
Amendment of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
- In regulation 10 (transitional provision: inspections) of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2026( 2 ), for '22nd June' substitute '23rd June'.
This provision modifies the transitional rules regarding housing inspections.
It replaces the date '22nd June' with '23rd June' within the existing 2026 Regulations to ensure consistency with the commencement of new safety rating standards.
This change determines which version of the rating system applies to inspections starting on or after the new date.
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