HMO standards

Shared houses

These are where there is a common living room - often let to students.

Space standards

One person units of accommodation

Each bedroom/study

10 square metres except where a separate living room is provided which is not a kitchen or a kitchen/diningroom, in which case the bedroom shall be 6.5 square metres.

Two person units of accommodation

Each bedroom/study

15 square metres except where a separate living room is provided which is not a kitchen or a kitchen/diningroom, in which case the bedroom shall be 11 square metres.

Common rooms

Kitchens
  • used by 1-5 persons - 7 square metres
  • used by 6-10 persons - 10 square metres
  • used by 11-15 persons - 13.5 square metres
  • used by 16 persons - 16.5 square metres
Dining/kitchens
  • used by 1-5 persons - 11.5 square metres
  • used by 6-10 persons - 19.5 square metres
  • used by 11-15 persons - 24 square metres
  • used by 16 persons - 29 square metres
Living rooms and dining rooms
  • used by 1-5 persons - 11 square metres
  • used by 6-10 persons - 19.5 square metres
  • used by 11-15 persons - 24 square metres
  • used by 16 persons - 29 square metres

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

A supply of cold running water suitable for drinking purposes shall be provided for the use of all occupants in each shared kitchen. The tap shall be marked 'Drinking Water'.

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 bedroom/study room 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. Where this is not practicable, shared facilities will be accepted for houses occupied by up to five persons, by provision of a wash hand basin in each bathroom. For houses occupied by six or more persons, shared facilities will not be accepted and a wash hand basin shall be provided in each bedroom/study.

Each 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

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. Where this is not practicable, a readily accessible water closet compartment, being not more than one floor distant from each user, shall be provided in the following ratios:

  • 1-5 persons - 1 water closet
  • 6-10 persons - 2 water closets

External water closets shall not be reckonable for this purpose.

Where water closets are provided at a standard of 1 per 5 or more persons, 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 use of a kitchen separate from the sleeping room and wherever possible on the same floor but shall be not more than one floor distant from the users.

If the property is occupied by six or more people, kitchen facilities shall be provided in accordance with category A provision.

The remainder of this section applies to a house occupied by five or less persons.

Food storage

Each separate occupancy shall be provided with a proper food store of adequate size ventilated to the external air, within the bedroom/study room. A refrigerator shall be considered to be a proper food store for the purpose of this requirement. Food storage facilities can be provided in the kitchen in which case, a separate, lockable facility will be required for each occupant.

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

Preparation

A work top of sufficient size shall be provided in the kitchen.

Cooking

The kitchen 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 per occupant, or
  • a cooker with three or four rings or hot plates together with a grill and an oven per three occupants living in the house

In a house occupied by five or less people, one cooking appliance with four rings or hot plates, together with a grill and an oven, will be sufficient.

Disposal of waste water

The kitchen shall be provided with its own sink complete with drainer and provided with its own continuous supplies of hot and cold running water. Sinks shall be provided in the ratio of one sink per three occupants. The hot and cold running water 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 located on hardstanding with suitable access for cleansing of the area and removal of the container.