The law says that HMOs must meet certain rules, like having enough space and the right number of bathrooms and kitchens. These rules help the council decide how many people can live in a property safely.
You can find full details in our Enforcement Policy. It helps landlords understand what is needed to get a licence and keep their property up to standard. If a home does not meet the space rules exactly, it might still be okay if it has clever designs that make good use of the space.
However, there are some minimum space rules that the council must always follow. These cannot be changed.
Room Measurements
When measuring a room to check if it is big enough for someone to live in, only the space that can be used is counted. Some parts of the room are not included in the measurement. These include:
- Any space taken up by a toilet, shower, or bath inside the room
- The area around a chimney breast and any small alcoves next to it
- Floor space where the ceiling is lower than 2.14 metres (about 7 feet), because people cannot stand up properly there
- In attic rooms, any floor space under the sloping roof where the ceiling is lower than 1.53 metres (about 5 feet)
Types of Shared Homes (HMOs)
To help make this easier to understand, shared homes (called HMOs) are put into two groups:
- Class A – Shared House: Each person rents their own bedroom. Everyone shares the kitchen and/or bathroom. There is also a shared living or dining room
- Class B – Bedsit: Each person rents a room that has its own cooking area. The bathroom is shared with other people in the house
Minimum room sizes and layout:
| Room type | Class A HMO | Class B HMO |
|---|---|---|
| Single bedroom with access to living/dining room | 6.52m² | - |
| Single bedroom with no access to living/dining room | 10m² | 13m² |
| Double bedroom with access to living/dining room | 10.22m² | - |
| Double bedroom with no access to living/dining room | 13m² | 15m² |
| Living room sizes: | ||
| 1 to 5 people | 10m² | - |
| 6 to 10 people | 15m² | - |
| 11+ people | 15m² plus an additional 1m² per person | - |
All bedrooms must meet the following criteria:
- Bedrooms should be set up in a way that is safe and comfortable for the people using them.
- Every bedroom must have a window that lets in fresh air and sunlight.
- Bedrooms should be private, so people feel safe and not watched.
- Bedrooms should be quiet and not have loud sounds coming from other rooms like the kitchen or living room.
- A conservatory (a glass room) cannot be used as a bedroom. And can only be used as additional space in a living room.
Kitchens
- Kitchens must be safe and clean for storing, making, and cooking food.
- The kitchen should be close enough to the bedrooms—no more than one floor away.
- If the kitchen is far from the bedrooms, there must be a nearby dining or living room that is big enough for people to use.
- Used by up to 5 people - 7m²
- Used by 6 to 10 people - 10.5m²
Important: If more than 10 people will use the kitchen, it might still be allowed, but you will need to send in a plan showing the kitchen’s size and layout to make sure it is safe and works well for everyone.
Cooking facilities in places linked to a food business
- If the home is part of a business that makes food (like a hotel or restaurant), there must still be a separate kitchen for the people living there.
- This kitchen must be safe and clean, and people must be able to use it when the business kitchen is closed.
- This helps stop germs from spreading, especially if someone is sick.
- If the business gives people three meals a day, the rules might be more relaxed, but only if it is agreed by the housing team.
- There must always be a good place in the home to store, prepare, and cook food.
The table below helps show how many kitchen facilities are needed, depending on how many people live in the house:
| Equipment | Exclusive use (cooking facilities within a bedroom) | Used by 5 people or less | Used by 6 to 7 people | Used by 8 to 9 People |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sinks and drainers (with hot and potable cold water and trapped waste) | A single sink and drainer | A single sink and drainer | A double bowl sink and drainer | 2 sinks with drainers and a dishwasher |
| Splashback (tiled or impervious material to a height of 0.45m) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cooking facilities | Small oven and grill with integrated 2 ring hob | An oven with grill and 4 ring hob | An oven with grill and 4 ring hob plus a combination microwave | Two separate ovens with grill and two 4 ring hobs |
| Fridge/Freezers (undercounter or freestanding) | Fridge with freezer compartment | Either 1 fridge and 1 freezer or a combination fridge/freezer | Either 2 fridges and 1 freezer or 1 combination fridge/freezer and 1 additional fridge | Either 2 fridges and 2 freezers or 2 combination fridge/freezers |
| Cupboards (not under sink) | 2 base or wall units | 1 per occupier | 1 per occupier | 1 per occupier |
| Worktop (impervious) | 500mm x 500mm | 1000mm x 500mm | 1500mm x 500mm | 2000mm x 500mm |
| Electric sockets (in addition to those for fixed appliances) | 2 double or 4 single | 2 double or 4 single | 3 double or 6 single | 4 double or 8 single |
There must be adequate bin storage for the number of people using the kitchen.
Kitchens used by 10 people must have two complete sets of facilities (as per the specification for kitchens used by 5 persons or under). For more than 10 people, please contact us for advice.
Kitchen Ventilation
Every kitchen must be equipped with at least one of the following ventilation options:
- Intermittent mechanical extract ventilation - Capable of extracting air at a minimum rate of 60 litres per second.
- Cooker hood ventilation - A cooker hood that discharges moisture-laden air directly to outside at a minimum rate of 60 litres per second.
- Natural ventilation via windows - A hinged or pivot window that opens to at least 30°, or a sliding window (such as a sash window) where the height x width of the opening section is at least 1/20th of the room’s floor area
Bathrooms
Everyone should be able to get to a bathroom or shower easily. It should not be more than one floor away from where they sleep. The number of bathrooms needed depends on how many people live there.
| Number of people | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 people | 1 bathroom with a fixed bath or shower, a toilet and wash hand basin. |
| 5 people | 1 bathroom with a fixed bath or shower and at least 1 separate toilet and wash hand basin |
| 6 to 10 people | 2 bathrooms with a fixed bath or shower and 2 separate toilets and wash hand basins. (One of the toilets can be contained within one of the bathrooms) |
| 11 to 15 people | 3 bathrooms with a fixed bath or shower and 3 separate toilets and wash hand basins. (Two of the toilets can be contained within 2 of the bathrooms) |
- Baths, showers and toilets must not be placed within a kitchen.
- All baths and wash hand basins must have taps that provide constant hot and cold water at all times.
- Bathrooms must have adequate heating.
- Bathrooms with a bath or shower must have good ventilation. This should be a fan that removes at least 15 litres of air per second.
- If a fan can not be installed, the bathroom must have a window that opens to outside.
- The openable part of the window must be at least 1/20th of the floor size.
- Bathrooms must be big enough so people can undress and keep their clothes dry while using the facilities.
- Bathrooms and toilets that are outside of the main building are not allowed.