We use the Housing Health and Safety Rating System to
make an assessment of the risks posed to individuals living in a
property where there are issues surrounding crowding and space. We
also use figures set in law to determine the maximum number of
people who can occupy a dwelling based on the size and number of
rooms, and the age, sex and relationship of the people living
there. The number of people, room sizes and the facilities
provided are also considered in determining the numbers of people
who can live in houses in
multiple occupation (HMOs).
Room standard (sometimes called the sex-overcrowding
standard)
When two people of opposite sexes who are not cohabiting have to
share a room a contravention has taken place,
exemptions:
- in single occupancies - children under 10
- in HMOs - children under 12 (Housing Act 1985 Sec
360)
- in lodging houses -children under 8
Space standard
When the number of people sleeping in a house
exceeds the permitted numbers with regard to the number of rooms
and their floor areas available as sleeping accommodation a
contravention has taken place.
In determining numbers of people in
terms of units, the following applies:
- child under 1 year - 0 unit
- 1 year to 10 years - 0.5 unit
- 10 years and over - 1 unit
A room is available for sleeping if it is of a type normally
used in the locality as a living room or bedroom. The
permitted numbers are the lesser of either those calculated from
table 1 or table 2.
Table 1
|
Rooms
|
People
|
|
1
|
2
|
|
2
|
3
|
|
3
|
5
|
|
4
|
7.5
|
|
5 or more
|
2 each room
|
Table 2
|
Floor area (ftsq)
|
Floor area (msq)
|
People
|
|
50 to 70
|
4.64 to 6.5
|
2
|
|
70 to 90
|
6.5 to 8.37
|
1.5
|
|
90 to 110
|
8.37 to 10.2
|
1
|
|
110 above
|
10.2
|
0.5
|
Overcrowding assessments
If you think you may be living in overcrowded
conditions, you should contact you local housing enforcement
officer, you will be sent an overcrowding assessment form
which you should complete and return to Private Sector Housing,
Bayard Place, Broadway Peterborough PE1 1HZ. Alternatively you may
download the overcrowding proforma and return the completed form to
us at the same address.
We will then assess your case based on what you tell us. In some
cases it may be necessary to make a visit to your house. If a
visit is made, we will make a full assessment of the property under
the Housing
Health and Safety Rating System, and take the appropriate
enforcement action to resolve any defects we find, whether or not
they relate directly to overcrowding.
If you visit housing options and they consider you may be
overcrowded, they will give you form to complete and return to us.
In these cases we will also inform them of our findings for them to
use in relevant decisions on your case. We only provide them with
the facts, we do not make any recommendations. If you live in a
house and share facilities with other unrelated people (house in multiple occupation) and you
think there may be too many people sharing those facilities or
there are too many people living in the house you may be
overcrowded.
The document below appears in Adobe® Acrobat® (PDF) format. In order to view it you will need to have Acrobat Reader installed. (Those with visual impairments may wish to investigate Access Adobe, which provides tools and information to help make PDF files more accessible). |  |
Overcrowding assessment form
(26KB, 2 pages)
If you are affected by any of these issues or suspect a house
near you is overcrowded, you should contact your
local housing enforcement officer on (01733) 747474.