24. As set out in the Homelessness Code of Guidance, housing authorities are obliged under section 3 of the Housing Act 2004, to keep housing conditions in their area under review with a view to identifying any action that may need to be taken by them under the Household Health and Safety Ratings System legislation (HHRSRS). The Code states that, when determining the suitability of accommodation secured under homelessness legislation, housing authorities should, as a minimum, ensure that all accommodation is free of Category 1 hazards which pose the most serious harm. 25. We agree that local authorities must deliver their statutory duty to ensure the suitability of temporary accommodation consistently. Good temporary accommodation management will involve inspections as part of wider assessment of suitability prior to placements, and post-placement keeping a household’s needs under review. The Homelessness Code of Guidance sets out how housing authorities are required to assess whether accommodation is suitable for each household individually, and case records should demonstrate that they have taken the statutory requirements into account in securing the accommodation. This includes statutory requirements on physical quality. 26. We are providing record levels of investment in homelessness and rough sleeping, including over £3.6bn from 2026/27-2028/29 in homelessness and rough sleeping services. Councils can use funding provided through the £2.7 billion Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant for inspections and improvement of temporary accommodation. 27. As part of the conditions of this grant, local authorities must produce a policy on how they will ensure temporary accommodation is suitable. The Government’s Local Performance and Accountability toolkit sets out best practice guidance and states that the policy should set out how local authorities will ensure suitability requirements are met, including ensuring that quality of accommodation is assessed, and what local oversight is in place to ensure suitability. Action plans are required to be produced by 1 December 2026 – the Government will review content to ensure that future policy and guidance supports good practice. 28. Through our Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots 2025/26, we funded 35 local authorities with the highest use of B&B accommodation for homeless families to carry out audits of their temporary accommodation stock and use them to consider suitability for the households, including identifying any property issues and broader support needs. More information can be found here: Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots - GOV.UK. This will inform development of future policy and practice, including through our Temporary Accommodation Toolkit where we will provide good practice guidance on management of placements. 29. We will use our expanded £30m Emergency Accommodation Reduction Programme to address a range of poor practice. In the first year of funding, we will continue to focus on reducing B&B use for families, whilst also testing approaches to improve quality more widely. We will look to expand this in the second and third year of funding, to have the strongest positive impact on children in temporary accommodation. 30. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 introduces a new power for local authorities to issue £7k fines where a category 1 hazard is found in private rented homes, including temporary accommodation in the private rented sector that is let under an assured tenancy. This new financial penalty is due to come into force by summer 2026 and will provide a strong incentive for landlords to ensure their properties are safe. We are also currently exploring the option using powers in the Renters’ Right Act to expand the scope of this financial penalty to include temporary accommodation occupied under licence in the private rented sector.