This document provides proposed licence holders and their managers with a guide to the standards required in houses in multiple occupation (hmos). These are the standards we use in HMO licensing and they are also recommendations for other types of rented property.
There are a set of national minimum standards about bedroom sizes and washing facilities (toilets and bathrooms). These are prescriptive standards and we must apply these when setting the number of occupants permitted in the house on a hmo licence. We also use this locally adopted guidance as providing a baseline that ensures that HMO occupiers have safe and convenient access to facilities within in their home. The Council will normally expect amenities in the property to meet the guidance set out in this document.
Where the property is an HMO or another type of rented property that does not require a licence, all sections of the standards can be taken as guidance. Officers will have regard to the guidance in this document when considering those amenities not prescribed by law and in assessing hazards at the property. National standards and local guidance are clearly marked as such in the following pages.
All properties shall be free of Category 1 hazards, as determined using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). A category 1 hazard is a serious risk to health or safety, which the Council has a duty to ensure is removed.
Heating
Description of legislation
The Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006. Regulation 8 and Schedule 3
Each bedroom or bedsit within the HMO shall be equipped with an adequate means of space heating.
Locally agreed guidance
We believe this can be achieved by providing the following:
- heating appliances capable of maintaining an internal temperature of 19 °C when the outside temperature is -1 °C
- the heating appliance is controllable by the occupier, either directly or by the use of features such as thermostatic radiator valves
- heating appliances should be permanently fixed (not portable) to reduce the risk of fire.
Adverse health effects are known to begin once the internal temperature falls below 19 °C. It is important that occupiers have control of temperature in their individual rooms.
Our locally agreed standard requires that each shower room or bathroom requires a suitable fixed heating appliance capable of maintaining the room at a temperature of 19 °C when the outside temperature if -1 °C, unless deemed unnecessary upon inspection. As a guide, bathrooms with externals walls should have heating, to reduce the likelihood of localised spots of excessively hot or cold conditions in the building that may cause harm to health and also to help reduce condensation.
When selecting heating arrangements, take into account any existing insulation.
Personal washing facilities and toilets
Description of legislation
The Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006. Regulation 8 and Schedule 3 (2), as amended by the Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Additional Provisions) (England) Regulations 2007
Where occupiers are sharing bathing and toilet facilities, there must be:
- an adequate number of baths/showers, toilets and wash-hand basins suitable for personal washing for the number of persons sharing these facilities; and
- where reasonably practicable there must be a wash hand basin with appropriate splashback in each occupiers living accommodation.
Locally agreed guidance
The following guidance has been agreed, so that occupiers are able to access these facilities without unnecessary delay.
For 1-4 persons using communal facilities, there must be:
- at least one bathroom containing either a fixed bath or shower; and
- one toilet. The toilet may be contained within the bathroom. Alternatively, it may be contained in a separate compartment with its own wash hand basin.
For 5 people using communal facilities, there must be:
- at least one bathroom containing either a fixed bath or shower; and
- a toilet in a separate compartment with a wash hand basin (this toilet may be contained within a second bathroom)
For 6-10 persons using communal facilities, there must be:
- at least two bathrooms containing either a fixed bath or shower; and
- two separate toilets in rooms containing wash hand basins (one of the toilets may be contained in one of the bathrooms).
For 11-15 persons using communal facilities, there must be:
- at least three bathrooms containing either a fixed bath or shower; and
- three separate toilets in rooms containing wash hand basins (two of these toilets may be contained within two of the bathrooms).
In cases where an occupier has exclusive access to their own toilet, wash hand basin and shower/bath within their own unit of accommodation, they will not count towards the number of people using the communal bathing and toilet amenities.
Further guidance on the facilities required:
- These facilities shall be not more than two floors distant from any user.
- Each toilet shall have a wash hand basin within the same compartment, to be supplied with constant hot and cold water supplies and a splashback.
- Bath or shower rooms should provide enough space for the facilities and for safe changing and drying. The flooring around the shower/bath must be both slip- and water-resistant. It is not acceptable to have an unscreened bath or shower in a bedroom.
- Baths, showers and toilets shall not be provided in rooms containing facilities for the storage, preparation and cooking of food.
- A suitably located extractor fan or an openable window (opening to outside) must be present.
- A bath must have minimum dimensions 1700 mm x 760 mm. A shower must have minimum dimensions 800 mm x 800 mm.
- A two course tiled splash back is to be provided to any bath. Any shower cubicle should have fully tiled walls or be self-standing cubicles.
- The walls and floor of any bathroom or shower room should be reasonably smooth and non-absorbent and capable of being readily cleaned.
- The hot and cold water should be adequate and available at all times.
We will assess the need for wash hand basins in each room based on ease of installation and cost. As an alternative to wash hand basins in each room, the Council considers the following to be acceptable:
1-4 occupiers – the bathroom should contain a wash hand basin.
5-10 occupiers – at least one bathroom should contain a wash hand basin.
11-15 occupiers – at least two of the bathrooms should contain a wash hand basin.
Please note, any room containing a toilet must also contain a wash hand basin.
Kitchen facilities
Description of legislation
The Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006. Regulation 8 and Schedule 3 (3)
Locally adopted guidance
Shared kitchens
The following guidance has been adopted to promote kitchens in which occupiers can safely move around and prepare food, and also are reasonably conveniently located within the building:
- The kitchen should have a reasonable layout and not be less than 7 square metres in floor area. Parts of floor area that are deemed unsuitable for reasons of poor layout or safety will be subtracted from the total.
- For the convenience of occupiers and to reduce the likelihood of accidents while moving hot food through the building, no occupier’s living accommodation should normally be more than two floors distant from any shared kitchen, unless the living accommodation has its own food preparation amenities.
- A sink on base unit supplied with an integral drainer; constant hot and cold water, trapped drainage and tiled splashback shall be provided for every six persons sharing the kitchen. To avoid cross-contamination of food, a wash hand basin shall not be used in place of a sink. The use of supplementary dish washers of adequate size will be considered, but there should be a minimum of at least one sink per shared kitchen.
- A cooking appliance with four rings or burners, oven and grill (or equivalent) shall be provided in a ratio of one for every three persons using the facilities. Where 3-6 occupants are using the kitchen, it is acceptable to provide a suitably sized combination microwave oven (to include grill/convection cooking option), rather than the second cooker. It is not acceptable to provide a microwave as the only appliance for cooking.
- Two 13 amp electric sockets, in addition to any serving major appliances set at a convenient height and safe position should be provided for every six persons sharing the kitchen.
- A fixed worktop of impervious material, minimum dimensions of available worktop space 50 cm x 200 cm should be provided for food preparation in every six persons sharing the kitchen.
- A food storage cupboard (minimum capacity 0.16 cubic metres) per person and a refrigerator (minimum capacity 0.15 cubic metres (150 litres)) with an adequate freezer compartment (or, where the freezer compartment is not adequate, adequate separate freezers) for every three persons using the facilities.
Kitchens located within self-contained flats or within bedrooms
The following local guidance has been adopted as achieving a reasonable provision of kitchen amenities within individual bedrooms or bedsits.
- The layout of the kitchen and the living accommodation in which it is located should enable occupiers to safely move about and prepare food and also allow good separation between kitchen and living areas within the room. The overall floor area of the living accommodation should also reach the minimums specified elsewhere in our guidance. Parts of floor area that are unsuitable for reasons of poor layout or safety will be subtracted from the total and the use of the room may ultimately be considered unacceptable.
- An adequately sized oven/grill OR a combination microwave that includes a grill/convection option; together with two rings or burners for one occupant, four rings or burners for two occupants. The hob must be located so it is next to a work surface and so the rings or burners match the height of the adjacent work surfaces and must be fixed securely in position.
- A sink on base unit supplied with constant hot and cold water, trapped drainage and tiled splashback; (a wash hand basin is not acceptable in place of a sink due to the risk of cross- contamination);
- a fixed worktop of impervious material, minimum available worktop space 50 cm x 100 cm available for food preparation;
- two 13 amp electric sockets, in addition to any serving major appliances. These must be set at a convenient height and safe position.
- a food storage cupboard (minimum capacity 0.16 cubic metres) and a refrigerator (minimum capacity 0.15 cubic metres (150 litres))
In addition, a kitchen must contain:
- a suitably located extractor fan or an openable window to the outside, to reduce the likelihood of damp;
- appropriate refuse disposal facilities (bins);
- there shall be a suitable fire door between rooms containing kitchens and the means of escape from the building and a fire blanket, further information is available in the fire safety guidance.
Other recommended facilities
A number of facilities are recommended, where appropriate:
- clothes washing facilities
- clothes drying facilities (to help reduce the likelihood of condensation)
- children’s play facilities (where appropriate)
- cycle storage on site
- communal amenity space with direct access from all units
- noise attenuation measures, soundproofing and appropriate location of bedrooms and facilities helps avoid disturbance between occupants
- bin storage provision – see Waste management guidelines – Reading Borough Council
Where the installation of additional amenities are provided, such as when required as a condition of a hmo licence, licence holders must be aware of the minimum room sizes, to ensure that the installation of the bathroom or other amenity does not result in another room becoming too small to use. For further reading on the matter we have the Space standards document readily available.
Planning Permission or Building Regulations approval may be required; in particular, building works and the installation of bathrooms and other facilities requiring drainage will require building regulation approval.
The granting of a HMO licence or compliance with the HMO standards in this guide does not mean that planning permission or building regulations approval will be granted. Planning Control and Building Control enforce these requirements under separate legislation.