A rating scale for housing-based health hazards

► This study presents a valid, reasonably reliable, and parsimonious measure of hazards that is congruent with the burden of symptoms that is generally associated with housing-related diseases. ► A housing hazard index (HHI) is described which can be used (a) in identifying critical hazards in a dwelling unit; (b) for comparing the hazards across residential units and targeting those in most need of attention; and (c) in benchmarking and tracking changes in the index over time. ► The HHI can be linked to a health database to explore the intersection of housing and health issues in a more rigorous manner.