Asylum accommodation inspections carried out by Environmental Health officers
Case reference FOI2025/00782
Received 17 April 2025
Published 19 May 2025
Request
I am doing research into asylum accommodation and I am interested in the role that local authorities have in inspecting these properties. It is my understanding that there are several local authority teams that will inspect asylum accommodation properties including, but not limited to, environmental health inspections and HMO licence inspections. Through freedom of information, I am interested to know the following: Environmental health inspections
1. The number of inspections carried out on asylum accommodation by environmental health officers in each of a) 2023 b) 2024 and c) the first quarter of 2025
2. A breakdown, by category, of the hazards recorded from these inspections in each of these time periods (for example pests, mould, fire safety risks etc)
3. A breakdown, by category, of any notices issued to the accommodation provider or the Home Office in each of these time periods (for eg improvement plans, remedial instructions, full enforcement action)
4. If held in a reportable format, the number of asylum accommodation properties that have had multiple inspections by environmental health officers in each of these time periods HMO licence inspections
1. The number of HMO licence inspections carried out on asylum accommodation by the local authority in each of a) 2023 b) 2024 and c) the first quarter of 2025
2. A breakdown, by category, of the hazards recorded from these inspections in each of these time periods (for fire safety risks, gas safety, room sizes, sufficient amenities etc)
3. A breakdown, by category, of any notices issued to the accommodation provider or the Home Office in each of these time periods (for eg improvement plans, remedial instructions, full enforcement action)
4. If held in a reportable format, the number of asylum accommodation properties that have had multiple HMO inspections in each of these time periods
Response
I am doing research into asylum accommodation and I am interested in the role that local authorities have in inspecting these properties. It is my understanding that there are several local authority teams that will inspect asylum accommodation properties including, but not limited to, environmental health inspections and HMO licence inspections. Through freedom of information, I am interested to know the following: Environmental health inspections
1. The number of inspections carried out on asylum accommodation by environmental health officers in each of a) 2023 b) 2024 and c) the first quarter of 2025
Answer: Zero. We have not had any dispersal accommodation for asylum seekers during the requested period. The contingency accommodation that the Home Office procured in Herefordshire during the period of the FOI (Which are two hotels – one in Hereford and one in Leominster) were exempted from the definition of an HMO and no visits or inspections were conducted by regulatory services of the local authority,
2. A breakdown, by category, of the hazards recorded from these inspections in each of these time periods (for example pests, mould, fire safety risks etc)
Answer: Not applicable.
3. A breakdown, by category, of any notices issued to the accommodation provider or the Home Office in each of these time periods (for eg improvement plans, remedial instructions, full enforcement action)
Answer: Not applicable.
4. If held in a reportable format, the number of asylum accommodation properties that have had multiple inspections by environmental health officers in each of these time periods
Answer: Not applicable.
HMO licence inspections 1. The number of HMO licence inspections carried out on asylum accommodation by the local authority in each of a) 2023 b) 2024 and c) the first quarter of 2025
Answer: Zero. We have not had any dispersal accommodation for asylum seekers during the period requested. The contingency accommodation that the Home Office procured in Herefordshire during the period of the FOI (Which are two hotels – one in Hereford and one in Leominster) were exempted from the definition of an HMO and no visits or inspections were conducted by regulatory services of the local authority,
2. A breakdown, by category, of the hazards recorded from these inspections in each of these time periods (for fire safety risks, gas safety, room sizes, sufficient amenities etc)
Answer: Not applicable
3. A breakdown, by category, of any notices issued to the accommodation provider or the Home Office in each of these time periods (for eg improvement plans, remedial instructions, full enforcement action)
Answer: Not applicable
4. If held in a reportable format, the number of asylum accommodation properties that have had multiple HMO inspections in each of these time periods
Answer: Not applicable.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.