Minimum space standards
These standards apply to all houses in multiple occupation.
This is the standard that the council will use for all licensable houses in multiple occupation. We would also consider them appropriate for non-licensable houses in multiple occupation however would consider this on a case by case basis.
| One person units of accommodation | |
|---|---|
| With kitchen facilities in the room | 13 metres squared |
| Bedroom only with use of a separate kitchen | 10 metres squared |
These sizes can be reduced at the discretion of the inspecting officer if there are adequate communal living room, kitchen, or dining facilities. No room of less than 6.52 metres will be adequate. Room size is determined on useable space and deductions maybe made for inaccessible layouts, for example, sloping ceilings.
| Two person units of accommodation | |
|---|---|
| With kitchen facilities in the room | 18.7 metres squared |
| Bedroom only with use of a separate kitchen | 15 metres squared |
Room sizes can be reduced by up to two metres squared at the discretion of the inspecting officer if there are adequate communal living room, kitchen or dining facilities.
Health and safety issues will also be taken into account when accepting reduced space standards and how useable the space is.
Minimum amenity standards
WCs, bathrooms, shower rooms and wash hand basins
Each WC cubicle, bathroom, shower room must have:
- appliances of the type and number set out in the table below
- constant and adequate supplies of hot and cold water
- waterproof splash backs to basins and baths and waterproof enclosures to showers
- smooth, non-absorbent and easily cleaned walls and ceilings
- appropriate water resistant, non-slip flooring
All bathrooms must be suitably and adequately heated and ventilated.
Where reasonably practicable, wash hand basins should be provided to bedsit rooms, except where there is a sink provided as part of the kitchen facilities within the room or where the house in multiple occupation is a shared house. Wash hand basins must be provided in bath / shower rooms and separate WC's unless hand washing facilities are adequate elsewhere.
There must be at least one bath or shower for every five occupants.
All bathrooms and toilets in a house of multiple occupation must be of adequate size and layout with a suitable door and lock to provide privacy.
| Number of occupiers sharing | Toilet facilities required (reference to a bathroom may be a room containing either a bath or shower) |
|---|---|
| One to three occupiers | One toilet may be incorporated within the bathroom |
| Four to five occupiers | One toilet to be separate from the bathroom (could be in a second bathroom) |
| Six to eight occupiers | Two toilets sited within two separate bathrooms |
| Nine to ten occupiers | Two toilets. One must be separate from any bathroom. |
| 11 or more occupiers | Three toilets on ratio of 1:5 - one or more to be separate from bath / shower room |
Facilities for preparing and cooking food
Location and availability
Each occupant must have 24 hour access to a suitable kitchen which should preferably not be more than one floor away from the letting room.
Layout, dimensions and space
A shared ‘kitchen’ should be suitably located in relation to the living accommodation and be of adequate size (see table below). Each ‘kitchen’ must have the following facilities:
- sink and drainer of minimum dimensions 500 x 600 mm
- an adequate supply of cold drinking water and constant hot water
- a fixed worktop or table of smooth and impervious material of minimum size 500 x 1000 mm
- one full sized oven with grill and 4 ring burners and / or microwave equivalent
- two double sockets plus one socket for each fixed appliance
- smooth impervious splash backs to the sink and draining board
- adequate storage (0.08 metres squared) and refrigerator space (0.075 metres squared) must be allocated
Additional ‘kitchens’ to the same standard shall be provided on a ratio of 1 per 6 residents and based on the following floor area.
| Number of occupants sharing | Minimum floor area |
|---|---|
| Kitchens | |
| One to three people | Five metres squared |
| Four people | Six metres squared |
| Five people | Seven metres squared |
| Six people | Nine metres squared |
| Dining kitchens | |
| One to three people | Ten metres squared |
| Four to six people | 11.5 metres squared |
| Living rooms or dining rooms | |
| One to three people | 8.5 metres squared |
| Four to six people | 11 metres squared |
In-room kitchen facilities can be scaled down from this with purpose built micro kitchens being acceptable.
Fire protection
The council uses the fire safety guidance issued by the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory services and building regulations approved documents to determine what measures are appropriate to the level of risk.
Notes
Bedsit type houses of multiple occupation
These are houses of multiple occupation which have been converted into a number of separate non-self-contained bedsit lettings or floor-by-floor lets. Typically there will be individual cooking facilities within each bedsit, but alternatively there may be shared cooking facilities or a mixture of the two. Toilets and bathing/washing facilities will mostly be shared. There is unlikely to be a communal living or dining room. Each bedsit or letting will be let to separate individuals who will live independently, with little or no shared communal living between tenants. Each letting will have its own individual tenancy agreement and there will usually be a lock on each individual letting door.
Shared house type houses of multiple occupation
There is no legal definition of a ‘shared house’ and so this term can sometimes cause confusion. Whilst shared houses fall within the legal definition of a house of multiple occupation and will be licensable where licensing criteria are met, it is recognised that they can often present a lower fire risk and other management risks than traditional bedsit-type houses of multiple occupation due to their characteristics.
Shared houses are described as houses of multiple occupation where the whole property has been rented out by an identifiable group of sharers such as students, work colleagues or friends as joint tenants. Each occupant normally has their own bedroom but they share the kitchen, dining facilities, bathroom, WC, living room and all other parts of the house. All the tenants will have exclusive legal possession and control of all parts of the house, including all the bedrooms. There is normally a significant degree of social interaction between the occupants and they will, in the main, have rented out the house as one group and have a single joint tenancy agreement. In summary, the group will possess many of the characteristics of a single family household, although the property is still technically a house of multiple occupation as the occupants are not all related.