Suitability for occupation - amenity standards
The following will be considered ‘adequate’ in relation to the amenity standards (Schedule
3, The licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and other Houses
(Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006).
Heating
Each unit of living accommodation must be
equipped with adequate means of space heating,
e.g. an efficient, programmable central heating
system, controllable by the tenant
to ensure that any heating system is effective
the property must be effectively insulated
l
fixed heating appliances in all rooms are
likely to be ‘adequate’ but
l
mobile heating appliances will not be
acceptable.
l
Financial assistance may be available to either
landlords or tenants to provide insulation or
heating. Please contact any member of the
Housing Services Team on 01803 208717 for
further details.
board complete with a constant supply of hot
and cold water
3 A minimum of 1 metre of worktop (600mm
deep)
4 2 x double 13 amp electric sockets over the
worktop but at a safe distance from the sink
5 A refrigerator or refrigerators of adequate
size for the number of occupants using the
facilities
6 Suitable and sufficient food storage
cupboards for the number of occupants using
the facilities.
7 A kettle
8 Adequate refuse collection and disposal
facilities.
Kitchen Facilities
Kitchen facilities must not be positioned within a
fire escape route, for example on landings, and
must in all cases be separated from an escape
route by a fire resistant FD30S door.
Suitable alternative arrangements may be
considered where there are extenuating
circumstances e.g. In shared houses only, with
6 or 7 occupants, the following (in addition to
the first complete set of kitchen facilities) may
be acceptable in lieu of the required second
complete set of facilities:
Where practicable each letting in a house in
multiple occupation should be provided with its
own set of kitchen facilities.
1 A properly fitted and plumbed dish washer (in
lieu of the second sink)
In houses in multiple occupation where it is not
practicable to provide each letting with its own
kitchen facilities a complete set of kitchen facilities
shall be provided for each 5 (or part of 5)
occupants (irrespective of age).
For the purposes of these standards a ‘set of
kitchen facilities’ will consist of the following:
1 A four-ring cooker complete with oven and
grill (a two-ring cooker complete with oven
and grill will be acceptable for a single
person letting)
2 A suitable and impervious sink and draining
2 A combination microwave oven or a 2 ring
cooker oven and grill (in lieu of a second 4
ring cooker)
3 An additional 0.5 metres of worktop
4 An additional double 13 amp electric socket.
The minimum size for a room containing shared
kitchen facilities is 5.5 sq. metres for one set of
facilities and 11 sq. metres for 2 sets of facilities.
No more than 2 sets of kitchen facilities may be
provided in any one kitchen.
Rooms containing kitchen
facilities shall have
1b
Housing Services Fact Sheets
Licensing of houses
in multiple occupation
Housing Services Fact Sheets
1b
adequate artificial lighting, and ventilation, which
may be natural or artificial, or a combination of
both.
6-10 persons
One wash basin in each
separate occupancy plus
Two bathrooms /shower
rooms AND
Two separate WCs with wash
basin (but one of the WCs
can be contained within one
of the bathrooms)
11-15 persons
One wash basin in each
separate occupancy plus
Three bathrooms /shower
rooms AND
Three separate WCs with
wash basin (but the WCs
can be contained within two
of the bathrooms)
All kitchens must be provided with a fire blanket
and fire resistant FD30S door.
No kitchen facilities shall be located more than
one floor distant from the room occupied by any
person using that kitchen unless a dining room or
area is provided on the same floor as the kitchen.
All floors walls and ceilings shall be capable of
being effectively cleaned.
All worktops shall be provided with a minimum
of two rows of ceramic tiles (or similar) above the
worktop as a splash back.
Note: The kitchen must be arranged so as to
allow safe use of the facilities. Regard must be
given to the fact that the cooker should not be
located near door openings so as to minimize
the risk of collision with people working at the
cooker. The cooker should not be so located in
relation to the sink to increase the risk of collision
and spillage when transferring hot materials
between cooker and sink.
Notes
Personal Washing and Toilet Facilities
The government has stipulated that the
following schedule of amenities is the minimum
requirement.
Fire Precautions
The mandatory licence condition to have ‘smoke
alarms’ within the property at the outset of the
licence may not represent the full extent of fire
precautions necessary and can only be seen as a
temporary measure pending an inspection which
may highlight the need for more extensive fire
precautions.
Schedule of amenity provisions in relation to
number of persons
1-4 persons
(not licensable)
No requirements for wash
basins in sleeping rooms.
At least one bathroom /
shower room (the bathroom
and WC may be combined)
5 persons
One wash basin in each
separate occupancy plus
One bathroom /shower
room AND
One separate WC with
wash basin (but the WC can
be contained within a 2nd
bathroom)
1. ExternalWCswillnotbecounted
2. Iftheoccupancyisprovidedwithits
ownkitchenfacilitieswchichincludesa
sink,thenaseparatewashhandbasin
willnotberequired.
All bathrooms, shower rooms and WCs must be
provided with adequate lighting, heating and
ventilation and must be ‘fit for purpose’.
A fire alarm system complying with B.S. 5839 is
likely to be required in the property where the
choice and siting of detectors will be dependant
on the layout of the property.
However, before installing fire alarms or emergency
lighting systems, owners are advised to obtain
advice from the Council or a competent electrician.
Devon Fire and Rescue also have legal
responsibilities for the common areas of HMOs
but arrangements exist between ourselves and the
Fire Brigade to consult each other where action is
being taken or advice given.
This document can be made available in other languages, on tape, in
Braille, large print and in other formats.
For further information call 01803 208723.