HMO MINIMUM ROOM SIZES

The Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government has published the expected regulations confirming that from 1 October 2018 HMOs licensed in England under part 2 of the Housing Act 2004 will be required to have a floor area no-smaller than 6.51 square metres.  

Licenses issued from 1 October will have to contain the following conditions:

• to ensure that the floor area of any room in the HMO used as sleeping accommodation by one person aged over 10 years is not less than 6.51 square metres;
• to ensure that the floor area of any room in the HMO used as sleeping accommodation by two persons aged over 10 years is not less than 10.22 square metres;
• to ensure that the floor area of any room in the HMO used as sleeping accommodation by one person aged under 10 years is not less than 4.64 square metres;
• to ensure that any room in the HMO with a floor area of less than 4.64 square metres is not used as sleeping accommodation.

Where a breach is found to exist, local authorities will be able to grant a period not exceeding 18 months to rectify the situation.

 Additionally, a condition will be included to mandate that landlords of licensed HMOs comply with any relevant local authority waste scheme - although no further details or minimum requirements are specified. 

The full draft SI may be found here: The Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018