Housing in Multiple Occupation (HMO)

The Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006 set out the minimum standards for HMOs and provide the legal requirements that the Council has interpreted. For more information on the regulations for Amenity Standards, please click here. 

Amenity standards outline the requirements that are needed for a HMO.  

The Amenity Standards impose instructions for:

• Room sizes.
• Kitchen Facilities.
• Washing Facilities.
• Toilet Facilities.

Sandwell Council requires different room size requirements depending on whether the property has additional communal space and has adopted the following guidelines as minimum requirements. 
Important notes on calculating the minimum room size 

When measuring the size of any room, the officer must take into account the ‘useable space’ by considering the height and shape of the room. Measurements will include all floor space including floor to ceiling fitted wardrobes/walk in cupboards, but not chimney breasts, bulkheads or ensuite bathroom facilities. Skirting boards will also be ignored. 

Rooms must be able to allow the effective use of the required amount of furniture and allow sufficient movement around the room. Where this is not possible (e.g. narrow layout), a higher minimum floor space may be required. All rooms should have a minimum floor to ceiling height of at least 2.3 metres over 75% of the room area. Where the ceiling height is less than 1.5 metres the floor area underneath it shall be disregarded and not counted as ‘useable space’. 

Bedroom sizes for HMOs with shared kitchen guidance (m2)

Bedroom sizes with kitchen facilities included (m2)

Minimum sizes of other rooms (m2)

In HMOs with a shared kitchen, for the landlord to take advantage of the lower bedroom sizes they must also have at least a shared living room, but they can have additional shared rooms. If you wish to make the kitchen your main living space, it must equal or exceed the minimum kitchen size plus the minimum living room size.

Kitchen Facilities - The Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006 require:

1. A kitchen, suitably located in relation to the living accommodation, and of such layout and size and equipped with such facilities to adequately enable those sharing the facilities to store, prepare and cook food.

2. The kitchen must be equipped with the following equipment, which must be fit for the purpose and supplied in a sufficient quantity for the number of those sharing the facilities:

(i) sinks with draining boards

(ii) an adequate supply of constant cold and hot water to each sink supplied

(iii) installations or equipment for the cooking of food

(iv) electrical sockets

(v) worktops for the preparation of food

(vi) cupboards for the storage of food or kitchen and cooking utensils

(vii) refrigerators with an adequate freezer compartment (or, where the freezer compartment is not adequate, adequate separate freezers)

(viii) appropriate refuse disposal facilities; and

(ix) appropriate extractor fans, fire blankets and fire doors.

Sandwell Council Amenity Standards for Kitchen Facilities

If two sets of facilities are provided in one kitchen, the layout must allow them to be used safely at the same time. 

Washing Facilities - Baths/showers shall be provided in the ratio of at least 1:5 persons sharing and should be easily accessible to all who use them. Baths/showers should be made in a way that allows users to undress, dry themselves and dress in a safe manner. They should have a constant supply of hot and cold water with a reasonable temperature control. They should also have adequate lighting, heating and ventilation. In addition, all bath/shower rooms should have smooth, impervious wall and ceiling surfaces which can be easily cleaned. The flooring should also be slip-resistant and capable of being cleaned easily. 

Wash hand basins are either provided in a separate toilet compartment or bathroom containing a toilet which should also have a constant supply of hot and cold water. 

Shower cubicles should have fully tiled walls provided with a suitable water-resistant curtain or a door to the cubicle.

Sandwell Council Amenity Standards for Washing Facilities

Toilet Facilities - the toilet room should have smooth, impervious wall and ceiling surfaces which can be easily cleaned. 

The flooring should also be slip resistant and easily cleaned. The toilet will be made easily accessible to all users.  

The toilet room will have adequate lighting, heating and ventilation. Should be a minimum dimension of 1300mm x 900mm with 750mm from the front of the toilet pan to the door. 

Where works to provide additional facilities are being carried out, Building Regulations may apply. 

Sandwell Council Amenity Standards for Toilet Facilities