Houses in Multiple Occupation - Standards
If you live in a bedsit, share facilities, eg a bathroom or kitchen with other occupants in your house, live in a property divided into flats, then you probably live in a house in multiple occupation.
There should be
- Smoke Detectors
- Doors should be fire doors and have self-closing devices
- There should be call points
- If the house has more than two storeys (more than ground floor and first floor) then there should also be a fire alarm panel.
This guidance is intended to assist in the provision of accommodation in Houses in Multiple Occupation which contributes to a safe and healthy environment for the occupants and any visitors.
On inspection, a risk assessment may determine that it is necessary to take other measures to ensure that the housing standards are satisfactory for each individual unit of living accommodation or that variation from these standards is appropriate.
Maintenance of Fire Warning/Detection Systems
The manager/person in control must ensure that any fire fighting equipment, emergency lighting and fire alarms are maintained in good working order. A maintenance contract must be arranged (with a competent contractor) at the time of initial installation for regular servicing in accordance with the relevant British Standard. The system must also be tested on a weekly basis by the manager/person in control and all such tests should be properly recorded within the system log book supplied by the installer during the handover procedure.
Contact details
Contact details of the person responsible for the maintenance of the fire warning/detection systems should be displayed in a prominent position in accordance with the current management regulations.
HMO Minimum Room Sizes
Accommodation with Facilities Shared By Occupiers
These standards apply where there is sharing of some or all facilities:
- occupiers live independently of others (single rooms and bedsits)
- occupiers forming a group (eg students, professional persons and others who Interact socially)
HMO Minimums.............
| Room Description | Minimums |
|---|
| 1 Person Unit | 2 Person Unit |
|---|
| Combined bedroom , living room and kitchen |
13m² |
20.5 m² |
| Combined bedroom and living room |
10m² |
14m² |
| Combined living room and kitchen |
12m² |
15m² |
| Kitchen |
4.5m² |
4.5m² |
| Living Room |
9m² |
12m² |
| Bedroom |
6.5m² |
10m² |
Kitchen and dining standards
| Where the Kitchen is shared by occupiers | Number of Persons |
|---|
| 1 – 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7-10 |
|---|
| Kitchen (minimum) |
5m² |
6m² |
7m² |
9m² |
11m² |
| Dining Area |
2 m² per person is recommended |
Hostels – To include Guest House & Bed & Breakfast accommodation
Hostels including B&B
| Room Description | Number of Occupants |
|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4+ |
|---|
| Bedroom only |
6.5m² |
10m² |
15 m² |
Add 4.5 m² per each person over 3 occupants |
| Combined Bedroom & Living Room |
10m² |
14m² |
18.5 m² |
Add 4.5 m² per each person over 3 occupants |
| For shared use of occupants | 1-3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7-10 |
|---|
| Kitchen (all main meals* not provided) |
5m² |
6m² |
7m² |
9m² |
11m² |
| Kitchen (all main meals provided) |
5m² |
5m² |
5m² |
5m² |
7m² |
| Communal living room (not required if individual bedroom & living room meet the standard above) |
8.5m² |
11m² |
11m² |
11m² |
16.5m² |
* Three meals a day (to be provided each day of the week)
Contact
Tel: 01304 872 397
Email: privatesectorhousing@dover.gov.uk