HMO standards

Houses let as bedsits

Bedsits are individual rooms with no living room.

Space standards

One person units of accommodation

One room units
  • 13 square metres including kitchen facilities
  • 10 square metres where provided with separate shared kitchen
  • shared kitchens shall provide 3 square metres per person using the facility
Two or more room units
  • each kitchen - 4.5 square metres
  • each living/kitchen - 11 square metres
  • each living room - 9 square metres
  • each bedroom - 6.5 square metres

Two or more persons units of accommodation

One room units
  • not normally suitable for two or more persons who are married couples or cohabitees. In other cases for two persons only 20.5 square metres
Two or more roomed units
  • each kitchen - 7 square metres
  • each living/kitchen - 15 square metres
  • each living room - 12 square metres
  • each living/bedroom - 14 square metres
  • each bedroom - 10 square metres

These figures are based on a two person occupancy. For occupancies of more than two persons reference should be made to table 1 of the sixth schedule of the Housing Act 1985 when considering permitted number to use the house for sleeping (see Sections 325 and 326, Housing Act 1985).

Natural lighting

All habitable rooms shall be provided with an area of clear glazing situated in either a window and/or a door, equivalent in total area to at least 1 tenth of the floor area of the room.

Underground rooms used as habitable rooms shall comply with paragraphs 7 and 8 of Model Regulations-Series XXII.

All kitchens, bathrooms and water closet compartments shall comply with the information on habitable rooms above. Where this is not practicable, adequate artificial lighting shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of part C, to the satisfaction of the Head of Community Services. All glazing to windows in bathrooms and water closet compartments shall be obscure.

All staircases, landings and passages shall be provided with an area of clear glazing in a window. Where this is not practicable, adequate artificial lighting shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of part C, to the satisfaction of the Head of Community Services.

Artificial lighting

All habitable rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, water closet compartments, staircases, landings and passages shall be adequately lighted by electricity.

Time switches should only be allowed in common landings, passages and staircases and should stay on for an adequate time to allow a person to climb stairs etc., and enter a room.

There should be sufficient switches to operate the artificial lighting on each landing, corridor or passage and each switch should allow adequate lengths of corridors, passages and stairways to be illuminated at the same time.

Ventilation

All habitable rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and water closet compartments shall have a minimum floor to ceiling height of 2.3 metres (7'6"), except in the case of existing underground rooms, which shall have a minimum height of 2.14 metres (7'0") and attic rooms, which shall have a minimum height of 2.3 metres over an area of the floor equal to not less than half of the area of the room, measured on a plane 1.5 metres (5'0") above the floor.

All habitable rooms shall be ventilated directly to the external air by a window, the openable area of which shall be equivalent to at least 1 twentieth of the floor area of the room. Neither an openable door giving access directly to the external air nor a louvered opening in such a door will be acceptable for the purpose of this requirement.

Underground rooms used as habitable rooms shall comply with paragraphs 7 and 8 of Model Regulations-Series XXII.

All kitchens, bathrooms, water closet compartments shall comply with with the information on all habitable rooms above but where this is not practicable, mechanical ventilation providing a minimum of three air changes per hour shall be provided. Such an installation shall be fitted with an overrun device for a minimum of 20 minutes and be connected to the lighting circuit of the room.

Permanent means of ventilation in the form of a flue, airbrick, hit and miss ventilator or louvered window shall be provided in all dining/kitchens, kitchens, bathrooms, water closet compartments, and any other rooms containing either cooking and/or washing facilities.

Water supply

Each separate occupancy shall be provided with a supply of cold running water suitable for drinking purposes either directly off the rising main or by such other means as are acceptable to the relevant water authority.

The water pressure to all fitments shall comply with the minimum requirements laid down by the relevant water authority at all times.

All water supplies shall, where necessary, be protected from frost damage.

Personal washing facilities

Each separate occupancy shall be provided with a wash hand basin together with its own supplies of hot and cold running water, situated within the unit of accommodation, and of minimum dimension 560 mm x 430 mm.

If a sink is provided to comply with these requirements, a separate wash hand basin will not be required.

Each separate occupancy shall be provided with its own bath or shower each in a proper room. Where this is not practicable a readily accessible bathroom or a shower room, being not more than one floor distant from any user, shall be provided in the following ratios:

  • 1-5 persons - 1 bathroom or shower room
  • 6-10 persons - 2 bathrooms or shower rooms
  • 11-15 persons - 3 bathrooms or shower rooms

Baths should be 1.67 metres in length. Shower trays should be 800 mm by 800 mm and of a standard compatible with the authority's renovation grant specification.

The hot and cold water supplies shall be exclusive (unless the rental or charge for accommodation includes the supply of hot water), and available at all times.

Baths and showers shall not be provided in kitchens.

Drainage and sanitary conveniences

All above and below ground drainage shall comply with the requirements of the building regulations currently in force.

Each separate occupancy shall be provided with its own water closet compartment, being not more than one floor distant from each user, in the following ratios:

  • 1-5 persons - 1 water closet
  • 6-10 persons - 2 water closets
  • 11-15 persons - 3 water closets

External water closets shall not be reckonable for this purpose.

Each shared water closet shall be situated in a room separate from the bathroom or shower room.

A wash hand basin shall be provided in each separate water closet together with its own continuous supplies of hot and cold running water. The hot and cold water supplies shall be included in the rental or charge for accommodation, unless the water closet is for the exclusive use of one occupancy.

Facilities for storage, preparation and cooking of food and for the disposal of waste water

Kitchen facilities

Each occupancy shall have its own kitchen separate from but on the same floor as the sleeping room. Where this is not practicable, each occupancy shall have its own kitchen facilities within the unit of accommodation.

Shared kitchens may be provided for single person occupancies and where provided shall be on the same floor as the occupancies.

Food storage

Each separate occupancy shall be provided with a proper food store of adequate size ventilated to the external air, within the unit of accommodation. A refrigerator shall be considered to be a proper food store for the purpose of this requirement.

The space in a sink unit below the sink will not be accepted, ventilated or otherwise.

Where shared kitchens are provided, each occupancy sharing shall have its own facilities either within the unit of accommodation or in the kitchen. If in the kitchen, the facility shall be lockable.

Preparation

Each separate occupancy shall be provided with a suitable work top.

In shared kitchens a work top of sufficient size shall be provided.

Cooking

Each separate occupancy shall be provided with a proper cooking appliance. The minimum acceptable will be:

  • two rings or hot plates together with either a grill or oven for a one person of unit accommodation, or
  • a cooker with three or four rings or hot plates together with a grill and an oven for units of accommodation for more than one person

In shared kitchens, one cooking appliance shall be provided for each user in accordance with 8 (a) above, or a cooking appliance in accordance with the information above shall be shared by not more than three one-person units.

Disposal of waste water

Each separate occupancy shall be provided with a sink with its own supplies of hot and cold running water.

In shared kitchens, sinks with adequate continuous supplies of hot and cold water 1 shall be provided in the` ratio of one sink per three one-person units of accommodation. The hot and cold water supplies shall be included in the rental or charge for the accommodation.

Space heating

All habitable rooms shall be adequately heated by a fixed space heating appliance of either gas or electricity. Solid fuel should only be permitted on the ground floor where it can be shown that there is adequate fuel storage and that there will not be any risk to safety from the removal of hot ashes. Use of the appliance will be exclusive (unless included in the rental or charge for the accommodation). Portable or removable heating appliances will not be acceptable.

All heating systems shall be of a sufficient output so as to heat adequately the bedrooms and livingrooms to a temperature of 65 degrees F (18.3 degrees C) with an outside temperature of 30 degrees F (-1 degrees C).

Refuse, storage and disposal

Refuse storage containers shall be provided sufficient for the needs of the house and a type acceptable to the local authority. This should normally be in the ratio of one British Standard dustbin or equivalent per household.

All containers should be located on hardstanding with suitable access for cleansing of the area and removal of the containers.