Multiple Occupancy Homes (Houses in Multiple Occupation)
What is a House in Multiple Occupation?
The house would originally have been a single family dwelling
house which has been altered or adapted to accommodate the current
occupants.
The definition given in the Housing Act 1985 (as amended)
Section 345 is:-
A house (or flat) occupied by persons who do not form a
single household.
Houses falling into this definition include:-
- Those where each room is let separately and some facilities are shared, such as bedsits but the occupants lead otherwise separate lives and there is no sense of community within the house
- Those where each room is let separately but facilities are shared and there is a sense of community
- Those where the landlord lives in the house but lets out one or more rooms
- Those used as hostels, 'homeless', or 'Bed and Breakfast' accommodation
- Those which have been converted into two or more self-contained flats or maisonettes
- Institutional 'homes' such as children's homes, retirement homes and nursing homes
The Housing Act 1985 sets out certain basic criteria to ensure
the health, safety and welfare of people living in shared
accommodation. These criteria include:-
- the structure of the house
- room sizes
- sanitary facilities
- kitchen facilities
- fire safety
- management of the house
Registration Scheme
Peterborough City Council operates a Registration Scheme for Houses in Multiple
Occupation which aims to ensure all the properties in the Council
area which fall within the scope of the scheme are registered and
fully compliant with the Council's Housing Standard.
Registration of relevant houses is mandatory under the
provisions of the Peterborough City Council (registration of Houses
in Multiple Occupation) Control Scheme
1999. The onus is on the landlord or other person having control of
the house to register it and failure to do so can lead to the
imposition of quite severe fines.
Peterborough City Council has a team whose role is to deal
with all enquries in relation to Houses in Multiple Occupation
(HMO). The team inspect properties and advise on compliance,
overcrowding, conditions and facilities, whether the property is
registered or not. The team also investigate properties that are
possibly being used as unregistered HMOs.
Useful Links
House Standards - information
regarding the necessary standards for houses in multiple
occupation
House Categories - definitions of
the categories for houses in multiple occupation
Safety - Information about safety in
houses in multiple occupation including link to Safety Log
Book
