HMO standards

The Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006 sets out national standards for licensable houses in multiple occupation. They are as follows:

Regulation 8

Prescribed standards for deciding the suitability for occupation of an HMO by a particular maximum number of households or persons.

• each unit of livingroom accommodation in an HMO must be equipped with adequate means of space heating

• where all or some of the units of living accommodation in an HMO do not contain bathing and toilet facilities for the exclusive use of each individual household:
   
  • there must be an adequate number of bathrooms, toilets and wash hand basins suitable for personal washing for the number of persons sharing those facilities
     
  • where reasonably practicable there must be a wash hand basin with appropriate splash back in each unit other than a unit in which a sink has been provided
     
• having regard to the age and character of the HMO, the size and layout of each flat and its existing provision for wash hand basins, toilets and bathrooms, and 

• all baths, showers and wash hand basins in an HMO must be equipped with taps providing an adequate supply of cold and constant hot water

• all bathrooms in an HMO must be suitably and adequately heated and ventilated

• all bathrooms and toilets in an HMO must be of an adequate size and layout

• all baths, toilets and wash hand basins in an HMO must be fit for the purpose

• all bathrooms and toilets in an HMO must be suitably located in or in relation to the livingroom accommodation in the HMO

Kitchens

Where all or some of the units of accommodation within the HMO do not contain any facilities for the cooking of food:

• there must be a kitchen, suitably located in relation to the living accommodation, and of such layout and size and equipped with such facilities so as to adequately enable those sharing the facilities to store, prepare and cook food

• the kitchen must be equipped with the following equipment, which must be fit for the purpose and supplied in a sufficient quantity for the number of those sharing the facilities:
   
  • sinks with draining boards
     
  • an adequate supply of cold and constant hot water to each sink supplied
     
  • installations or equipment for the cooking of food
     
  • electrical sockets
     
  • worktops for the preparation of food
     
  • cupboards for the storage of food or kitchen and cooking utensils
     
  • refrigerators with an adequate freezer compartment (or, where the freezer compartment is not adequate, adequate separate freezers)
     
  • appropriate refuse dispose facilities, and
     
  • appropriate extractor fans, fire blankets and fire doors

Where a unit of living accommodation contains kitchen facilities for the exclusive use of the individual household, and there are no other kitchen facilities available for that household, that unit must be provided with:

• adequate appliances and equipment for the cooking of food

• a sink with an adequate supply of cold and constant hot water

• a worktop for the preparation of food

• sufficient electrical sockets

• a cupboard for the storage of kitchen utensils and crockery, and

• a refrigerator

The standards referred to regarding appliances, equipment and refrigerators shall not apply in relation to a unit of accommodation where:

• the landlord is not contractually bound to provide such appliances or equipment

• the occupier of the unit of accommodation is entitled to remove such appliances or equipment from the HMO, or

• the appliances or equipment are otherwise outside the control of the landlord

Where there are no adequate shared washing facilities provided for a unit of living accommodation, an enclosed and adequately laid out and ventilated room with a toilet and bath or fixed shower supplying adequate cold and constant hot water must be provided for the exclusive use of the occupiers of that unit either:

• within the living room accommodation, or

• within reasonably proximity to the living accommodation.

Fire precautions facilities

Appropriate fire precaution facilities and equipment must be provided of such type, number and location as is considered necessary.

Please note: Staffordshire authorities as well as two Shropshire authorities, in association with the West Midlands Fire Service have produced a guide to fire precautions in multi-occupied residential properties. This is issued to the owners of HMOs.