Housing minister Heather Wheeler wants to simplify the health and safety ratings process for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).

She has announced a revamp of the system will start later in the year.

The review will cover the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) in England.

The list covers 29 potential hazards like damp, electrical safety and fire risks in HMOs.

HHSRS is used by landlords and council housing officers to assess living standards in rented homes.

The minister wants to look at each hazard to see if they should be merged or removed from the list.

The new HHSRS will include worked examples to help landlords better understand the rules and may include new standards and offer technology solutions to monitor or assess hazards.

“This will make it simpler and quicker for local authorities to assess health and safety standards in rented homes, helping them to improve conditions for tenants and better tackle rogue landlords,” said a housing ministry spokesman.

“It will directly address what we’ve been told by experts in the field: that the system should be simplified, that minimum standards for common health and safety hazards should be developed and that digital solutions for inspecting rented houses and flats should be explored.

“The HHSRS is used by local authorities to assess a range of potential hazards in rented properties, such as damp, excess cold and electrical faults as well as fire and falls. But it hasn’t been updated in over 12 years and landlords, tenants and local authorities say it is complicated and inefficient to use.”

The move follows a scoping review published by the housing ministry.