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Volume 4
Chapter 15 Access To External Doors And Outbuildings
15.1. A house meets the tolerable standard if it has satisfactory access to all external doors and outbuildings.
Introduction
15.2. This element of the tolerable standard ensures that occupants and visitors are able to move safely between the edge of the property, the external doors to the main habitable part of the house, and all outbuildings.
15.3. The recommendations in this guidance are based on what a non disabled person of average build would be capable of achieving and specifically does not consider access from the perspective of people with restricted mobility.
15.4. This chapter of guidance will help assessors to decide if a house meets the tolerable standard. In particular, it will focus on factors that may mean the safety of those using the access routes around the house is compromised. Assessors should read the chapters covering structural stability, foul and surface water drainage, and lighting, ventilation and heating as these provide useful guidance on issues related to this element of the standard.
Legislation
15.5. The tolerable standard was first defined in the Housing (Scotland) Act 1969 and has always included the requirement for a house to have satisfactory access to all external doors and outbuildings. The Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 does not change this.
Definitions
15.6. This chapter provides a more detailed description of the terminology used in this element of the standard:
15.7. Satisfactory access: The guidance below gives advice on how to judge if the access route is satisfactory. But the basic test assessors should consider is whether an occupant or visitor can move safely between the area immediately in-front of and around the house, all main door(s) to the house, and any outbuildings in use. A house may have multiple access routes and all must be satisfactory for the house to meet the tolerable standard.
15.8. External doors: This refers to all main doors providing access directly into the main living part of the house, and will often be a standard front and back door. The access route starts from immediately outside the house and extends to immediately outside the main doors giving access to the main living part of the house. For some houses the access route will be via a passageway or stair.
15.9. Outbuildings: This includes any in-use building or structure associated with the house that can only be accessed by leaving the main living part of the house. Examples of outbuildings include:
- garages;
- bin stores;
- wash-houses;
- drying-rooms/areas;
- solid fuel storage areas;
- outside toilet (but see chapter on WCs); and
- cellars.
15.10. The next part of this chapter gives advice for assessors on how to judge if a house has satisfactory access to all external doors and outbuildings.
Making the assessment
15.11. The flow-chart below will help guide an assessor through the process:
15.12. An assessor should consider the following information when thinking about each of these questions:
Are all doorways and passageways to the house unobstructed and of sufficient size?
15.13. All external doorways and common access passageways providing access to a main door into the house should be large enough for occupants and visitors to use them safely and conveniently. The focus for an assessor here should be on the size of the doorway opening and passageway, and how easily a person can pass through this. The condition of the door itself is not a factor when considering this element of the tolerable standard.
15.14. The dimensions of all main doorways, and any other doorways providing access to a main door or outhouse, should be large enough to allow a person of average build to walk through them without requiring to stoop or adjust their movement excessively. For some houses, the passageway providing the sole route of access between a bin-store and the collection point may be too small to allow the occupants to move their wheelie-style bins to the street outside. This does not mean that the house is below tolerable standard.
15.15. Sometimes the main doors to several houses will be adjacent to one another and accessed from the same enclosed space, for example where the top-floor and roof-space of a building have been converted into separate individual houses. The enclosed space must be large enough to allow occupants to open the main door to the house without being obstructed, or causing an obstruction to any other door.
Are all paths and stairs safe underfoot?
15.16. Assessors should look specifically at the physical condition of all paths, passages and stairs giving access to the main doors of the house, and any outhouses, to ensure they are free from defects or damage that would mean they are unsafe to use. Obstruction caused by litter or other movable objects, such as prams and bicycles, will not mean a house is below tolerable standard.
15.17. For paths, an assessor should look at the condition of the surface on which a person is required to walk. This should be even, with no sharp variations in height, for example where paving stones are missing. The surface should be stable, firm, and, in line with the guidance on foul and surface water drainage, free from excessive surface water or moisture. There should not be any large holes in the surface of the path that could cause a person to stumble, trip or fall.
15.18. Stairs, like paths, should be sound underfoot and safe to walk on. An assessor should look at the physical condition of the stair treads, nosings (the over-hanging edge of a stair tread) and risers (the vertical part of each stair tread), but also at the structural integrity of the stair as a whole. Assessors will find the guidance on structural stability helpful when considering if there are indications of structural defects in the stair.
15.19. Stair treads and nosings should be sound, intact and not excessively worn. This requires assessors to draw on their experience and make an informed and sensible judgement on what they find in each case. He/she should consider the damage to a stair tread or nosing from the perspective of safety and whether the defect poses a real danger to someone using the stair. Serious wear or damage, for example when there is a clear and marked distortion to the profile of tread or nosing, will normally mean the house is below tolerable standard. Assessors should also check that the risers are evenly spaced and there is no marked variation in height, otherwise the house will normally be below tolerable standard.
Are all railings safe?
15.20. Railings are a normal safety feature of passageways and stairs, often where these provide common access to several houses. Railings act as a barrier at the edge of an elevated passageway or stair and protect users from the danger of falling from the walkway. The term 'railing' in this guidance means the complete structure of a protective barrier, including all vertical and horizontal parts, such as balusters and handrails.
15.21. Assessors should check that the railing is securely fixed in place and does not move excessively under pressure of hand. When a stair railing is unsafe, or unstable because it is seriously damaged, the house is normally below tolerable standard. However, if the railing is unstable because it requires a minor repair, such as loose fastenings, the house is not normally below tolerable standard.
15.22. Where the railing is a barrier at the edge of a stair or elevated passageway, an assessor should check for large gaps in this, such as missing balusters. A railing with a gap in it of a size that a small child could pass through will mean the house is normally below tolerable standard. Assessors may find that owners have made a temporary repair to a gap in damaged railings, such as blocking the gap with rope or wire. This type of repair is not satisfactory and the house is below tolerable standard, unless the railing provides a level of protection comparable with its original construction. Assessors should look at each case individually and, with reference to the advice given above, use their judgement to decide if a railing is unsafe.
15.23. Assessors should distinguish railings from hand-rails when considering this element of the standard. A hand-rail, that functions solely as an aid to stability for people using a stair, should not be considered under the tolerable standard.
Is there satisfactory provision of artificial lighting for all access routes?
15.24. Where an occupant accesses either the house or an outbuilding via an enclosed passageway or stair, such as a common close, there must be satisfactory provision for artificial lighting. For some houses, the access routes will be lit at night by street lighting immediately outside the house. If an assessor judges that this arrangement is satisfactory, there is no need for additional artificial lighting. However, where this is not the case, artificial lighting is needed. This will normally be provided by electrical light fittings, or sometimes by gas-mantle type lighting (where light is produced by heating an oxide-based compound with a flame).
15.25. The lighting may or may not be operating at the time of an assessor's visit; this will depend on the timing and season. It is not necessary for an assessor to see the lighting working, nor to measure the amount of light the system actually provides. The judgement is whether there is a fixed and permanent system for artificial lighting. If there is no system for artificial lighting, or the system is clearly not fit for purpose and beyond economic repair, the house is below tolerable standard.
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