21% of UK properties contain a hazard to safety so serious the local authority has a duty to intervene, according to research by property search firm SearchFlow.

If these hazards were to be repaired, SearchFlow calculates it would cost the UK’s property owners in excess of £52 billion.

Hazards qualifying for CATEGORY 1 under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System include those that can cause death, lung cancer, permanent loss of consciousness, 80% burn injuries, the loss of a hand or foot, eye disorders, heart attacks and poisoning.

According to the Housing Act 2004, these types of hazard create an obligation for local authorities to either force the property to be vacated or to require immediate repair.

The English Housing survey states that in the UK, almost five million dwellings contained such hazards and that 1.9 million dwellings contained dangerous steps and stairs.

Stuart Pearce, CEO of SearchFlow said: “Many homeowners are unaware they live with serious hazards every day. When private dwellings are assessed by local authorities