The Housing Act 2004 places a duty on the Local Authority to ensure housing standards throughout the County meet acceptable levels.
The Local Authority can do this by using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System to carry out a risk assessment on the property which will identify whether there are any hazards present.
The attached document 'The Ideal Property' will show you what the Local Authority officer will look out for when carrying out the assessment.
You can also view the standards that apply to the Licencing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) and what differentiates an acceptable standard from an ideal in terms of HMO's. HMO's require proper management as well as maintaining the property. More information can be found on the Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) pages.
If a dwelling is found to have any major (category 1) hazards then the Local Authority will usually take further enforcement action to ensure steps are taken to reduce or remove the hazard.