Basic standards for large houses in multiple occupation (HMOs)
If you are a private landlord or letting agent, you must provide your tenants with minimum living standards and housing conditions.
All large (mandatory) HMOs must have:
- a mandatory HMO licence
- minimum bedroom and kitchen sizes
- general, fire and electrical safety standards
Planning permission is required for HMOs with more than 6 people from 2 or more households.
Minimum room sizes
The minimum room size depends on:
- the age and number of people using the bedroom
- whether there is a shared living area
- whether the bedroom includes a kitchen
Bedroom size requirements
The minimum bedroom size must be for:
- a child under 10 years old at least 4.64 metres square
- a child over 10 years old at least 6.5 metres square
- an adult at least 6.5 metres square
- an adult couple at least 10.22 metres square
If there is no shared living area (only a kitchen)
The minimum bedroom size must be for:
- a single adult at least 10 metres square
- an adult couple at least 14 metres square
If the bedroom has a kitchen (and there is no shared living area)
The minimum bedroom size must be for:
- a single adult at least 13 metres square
- an adult couple at least 19 metres square
Kitchen size requirements
The minimum kitchen size depends on how many people live in the property.
The room size must be at least:
- 7 metres square for 5 people
- 20 metres square for 6 people
- 27.5 metres square for 7 to 10 people
Communal area size requirements
The minimum communal area (such as a lounge) size depends on how many people live in the property.
The room size must be at least:
- 18 metres square for 5 people
- 20 metres square for 6 people
- 27.5 metres square for 7 to 10 people
Safety checks and documents
At the start of and during a tenancy, you must provide valid and in date:
- Gas Safety Certificate – this must be renewed by a Gas Safe engineer every 12 months
- Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) – this must be renewed by an accredited electrician every 5 years
- Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) Certificate – this must be renewed by a qualified PAT tester every 12 months
- Automatic Fire Detection Certificate (AFDC) – this must be renewed by an accredited electrician every 12 months
You are also required to provide:
- a floorplan of property, including room dimensions
- fire risk assessment – this must be reviewed every year and renewed every 3 years
Fire safety and detectors
You are required to provide:
- mains-powered and interlinked smoke detector on each floor
- mains-powered and interlinked heat detector and fire blanket in all kitchens
- self-closing fire doors with intumescent or smoke strips to all rooms (including exit escape routes) which contain electrical white goods
- emergency lighting if exit escape routes are long or complex
- a carbon monoxide (CO) detector near to a gas boiler or a solid fuel burning appliance, such as a wood burning fire
Other HMO amenities
You are required to provide:
- thumb-turn locks on all exit doors and all lockable rooms
- a mechanical extractor fan vented to the outside of the building in all bathrooms and kitchens
- fixed and programmable heating in each room – for example, either a radiator with thermostat value or programmable storage heater
- windows in working order and weather-proof
- window restrictors (opening to 100mm) to all upstairs windows which are 1,100mm from floor level
- fixed handrails for all stairs
Full housing standards guidance
This webpage does not include everything you need to provide as a private landlord. It aims to give you a general idea of the housing standards and living conditions we expect in private rented properties.
For full guidance, view or download the private sector housing amenity standards guide.
Contact our Housing Standards team
You can contact us online.