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HMO standards and regulations

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Amenity standards

The following are the legal minimum standards for all Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO’s), whether they need to be licensed or not:

  • An adequate means of space heating must be provided in each letting and in bathrooms, whether shared or not
  • Kitchens and bathrooms must be adequately ventilated, including extractor fans in kitchens
  • Kitchens, bathrooms and toilets must be of adequate size and layout and be suitably located in the HMO in relation to the lettings
  • All baths, showers, wash hand basins and sinks must be fitted with taps supplying cold water and a constant supply of hot water
  • For up to four occupiers, there must be at least one bathroom and toilet (which can be in the bathroom). This has been amended by Statutory Instrument 2007 No 1903 to say that there must be an adequate number of bathrooms, toilets and wash hand basins for personal washing for the number of persons sharing those facilities, and where reasonably practicable there must be a wash hand basin with appropriate splash back in each unit.
  • For five or more occupiers, there must be at least one bathroom for every five sharers, and a separate toilet for every five sharers. This has been amended by Statutory Instrument 2007 No 1903 to say that there must be an adequate number of bathrooms, toilets and wash hand basins for personal washing for the number of persons sharing those facilities, and where reasonably practicable there must be a wash hand basin with appropriate splash back in each unit.
  • Adequate size and layout kitchen for the number of sharers, containing sinks with draining boards, cooking equipment, worktops, storage cupboards, for food and crockery and utensils, fridge/freezers (combined or separate), and electrical sockets
  • Adequate refuse disposal facilities
  • Adequate fire precautions including fire doors and fire blankets as appropriate

We use a set of recommended standards which will satisfy these legal requirements. Officers will also assess the property against the Housing Health and Safety Rating System and will take the appropriate enforcement action to ensure any deficiencies are rectified.

HMO Amenity Standards - 2018158KB–pdf
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Detailed requirements - Shared facilities

Heating

The normally accepted standard is a central heating system (preferably gas fired), or fixed heaters (electric heaters should be hard wired, not plugged into the room sockets). Portable electric fires, convector heaters or oil filled radiators, gas cylinder powered heaters or paraffin heaters are not acceptable.

Consideration must also be given to the affordability of the heating source for the tenants.

The Gas and Electric meters supplying the property must NOT be pre-payment meters. The utility bills will be in the landlords name and paid for by them. This is to prevent any potential break in the utilities’ services.

Natural light and ventilation

Clear glazing equivalent in area to 10% of the floor area of the room should be provided in each letting. Openable windows equivalent in area to 5% of the floor area of the room should be provided in each letting. Doors to open air cannot be included in the reckoning. 

Space standards

Letting rooms should be not less than 10 metre square for a single letting, which can be reduced to 7 metre square, if there is a communal lounge. Double rooms should be 15 metre square and 11 metre square respectively.

All specified space requirements relate to the minimum standard. Any floor area that falls below the minimum standard will not be acceptable.

Bedrooms

HMOs where there is a communal lounge/dining room and cooking facilities are not provided in letting rooms: 

  • One person room - 6.51m2
  • Two person room - 10.22m2

HMOs where there is no communal lounge/dining room and cooking facilities are not provided in letting rooms:

  • One person room - 10m2
  • Two person room - 15m2

HMOs where cooking facilities are provided in the letting rooms (studios/bedsits):

  • One person room - 13m2
  • Two person room - 18m2

  1. The above floor areas represent the space required within a bedroom exclusive of any en-suite bathroom. Be aware that adding an en-suite bathroom will reduce the overall floor area of the bedroom.
  2. Any part of a bedroom where the ceiling height is less than 1.5 metres (for example attic rooms with a sloping roof) shall be excluded when calculating the floor area.

Communal lounges/dining rooms

  • Used by 1-3 persons  - 9m2
  • Used by 4-5 persons  - 12m2
  • Used by more than 5 persons - Add 2m2 per person
  1. Where there is a kitchen/diner, the diner section of the room can be used as a communal lounge but it will be subject to the above space standard.

Kitchens

  • Used by 1-3 persons - 5m2
  • Used by 4 persons - 6m2
  • Used by 5 persons - 7m2 
  • Used by more than 5 persons - Add 2m2 per person
  1. Kitchens shall be of such a size and layout so as to adequately enable those sharing to safely store, prepare and cook food taking into account the amenities that are required within the kitchen (see Amenity Standards in HMOs). 

Fire safety

Fire safety provisions and equipment should be provided as appropriate to the accommodation in line with the fire safety in the home recommendations.

More information on fire safety requirements in HMOs, as well as information on Fire Risk Assessments is available from the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service.

LACORS Fire Safety996KB–pdf
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Fire Safety Standards in Houses in Multiple Occupations (HMOs)

Please note: the following advice is provided as a typical outline of requirements in Houses in Multiple Occupations (HMOs) of differing sizes and occupation levels. Operators should have mind to their fire risk assessment when determining which fire safety features are suitable for their specific property.

Item: Fire separation (walls/partitions/ceilings)

Peterborough City Council standard: Escape routes of sound construction.

Item: Fire alarm system (type/grade), smoke and heat detectors, siting of detectors

Peterborough City Council standard: Dwelling with a shared kitchen: Grade D, LD3 system with mains-powered smoke alarms with battery backup on all escape routes (hallways, landings)

Dwelling with cooking in bedsits: Grade D, LD2 system with interlinked smoke detectors in the escape route and common areas with additional interlinked heat detectors in each bedsit and non-interlinked smoke alarms in each bedsit. 

Item: Fire doors

Peterborough City Council standard: Dwelling with a shared kitchen: Doors dividing rooms to the escape route should be sound and well-fitting. Travel distance must not be excessive.

Dwelling with cooking in bedsits: 30-minute fire doors (complete with self-closers, intumescent strips, cold smoke seals and 3x 100mm heavy duty hinges) to all risk rooms*. Travel distance must not be excessive.

Item: Fire escape windows

Peterborough City Council standard: Using window escape as the primary escape route is not considered good practice or appropriate for all potential occupiers to use, if the alternative passes through a communal kitchen or similar risk room. The layout should be revised to provide a primary route that exits the building directly or uses a protected route avoiding risk rooms and provides a window escape as the alternative means of escape.

Item: Emergency lighting

Peterborough City Council standard: Dwelling with a shared kitchen: Conventional lighting except where route is complex and no effective borrowed light.

Dwelling with cooking in bedsits: Conventional lighting (and emergency escape lighting if risk requires or there is no effective borrowed light). 

Item: Means of escape

Peterborough City Council standard: Locks on doors to all letting rooms and all external doors must operate a thumb turn facility meaning the locks can be operated from the inside without using a key.

*Risk rooms are defined as any room which includes cooking facilities. (Where a common lounge opens onto the escape route and the kitchen leads from the common lounge, the fire door may be installed on the lounge instead).

Item: Fire separation (walls/partitions/ceilings)

Peterborough City Council Standard: 30-minute protected escape route.

Item: Fire alarm system (type/grade), smoke and heat detectors, siting of detectors

Peterborough City Council Standard:Dwelling with a shared kitchen: Grade D, LD2 system with interlinked smoke detectors in the escape route, common areas and bedrooms + additional interlinked heat detector in each kitchen.

Dwelling with cooking in bedsits: Grade D, LD2 system with interlinked smoke detectors in the escape route and common areas with additional interlinked heat detectors in each bedsit and non-interlinked smoke alarms in each bedsit.

Item: Fire doors

Peterborough City Council Standard: 30-minute fire doors (complete with self-closers, intumescent strips, cold smoke seals and 3x 100mm heavy duty hinges) to all risk rooms*. Travel distance must not be excessive.

Item: Fire escape windows

Peterborough City Council Standard: Using window escape as the primary escape route is not considered good practice or appropriate for all potential occupiers to use, if the alternative passes through a communal kitchen or similar risk room. The layout should be revised to provide a primary route that exits the building directly or uses a protected route avoiding risk rooms and provides a window escape as the alternative means of escape.

Item: Emergency lighting

Peterborough City Council Standard: Dwelling with a shared kitchen: Conventional lighting except where route is complex and no effective borrowed light.

Dwelling with cooking in bedsits: Conventional lighting (and emergency escape lighting if risk requires or there is no effective borrowed light).

Item: Means of escape

Peterborough City Council Standard: Locks on doors to all letting rooms and all external doors must operate a thumb turn facility meaning the locks can be operated from the inside without using a key.

*Risk rooms are defined as any room which includes cooking facilities. (Where a common lounge opens onto the escape route and the kitchen leads from the common lounge, the fire door may be installed on the lounge instead).

Item: Fire separation (walls/partitions/ceilings)

Peterborough City Council Standard: 30-minute protected escape route.

Item: Fire alarm system (type/grade), smoke and heat detectors, siting of detectors

Peterborough City Council Standard: Dwelling with a shared kitchen: Grade D, LD2 system with interlinked smoke detectors in the escape route, common areas and bedrooms + additional interlinked heat detector in each kitchen.

Dwelling with cooking in bedsits: Mixed system Grade A, LD2 system with interlinked smoke detectors in the escape route and common areas with additional heat detectors in bedsits (interlinked).

Grade D mains powered smoke alarm in each bedsit (non-interlinked).

Item: Fire doors

Peterborough City Council Standard: 30-minute fire doors (complete with self-closers, intumescent strips, cold smoke seals and 3x 100mm heavy duty hinges) to all letting rooms, common lounges and kitchens (and boiler cupboards if located on the escape route).

Item: Fire escape windows

Peterborough City Council Standard: Using window escape as the primary escape route is not considered good practice or appropriate for all potential occupiers to use, if the alternative passes through a communal kitchen or similar risk room. The layout should be revised to provide a primary route that exits the building directly or uses a protected route avoiding risk rooms and provides a window escape as the alternative means of escape.

Item: Emergency lighting

Peterborough City Council Standard: Dwelling with a shared kitchen: Conventional lighting except where route is complex and no effective borrowed light.

Dwelling with cooking in bedsits: Conventional lighting (and emergency escape lighting if risk requires or there is no effective borrowed light).

Item: Means of escape

Peterborough City Council Standard: Locks on doors to all letting rooms and all external doors must operate a thumb turn facility meaning the locks can be operated from the inside without using a key.

Item: Fire separation (walls/partitions/ceilings)

Peterborough City Council Standard: 30-minute protected escape route.

Item: Fire alarm system (type/grade), smoke and heat detectors, siting of detectors

Peterborough City Council Standard:Dwelling with a shared kitchen: Mixed system Grade A, LD2 system with interlinked smoke detectors in the escape route and in all bedrooms, kitchens and lounges and additional interlinked heat detector in each kitchen.

Dwelling with cooking in bedsits: Mixed system Grade A, LD2 system with interlinked smoke detectors in the escape route and common areas with additional heat detectors in bedsits (interlinked).

Grade D mains powered smoke alarm in each bedsit (non-interlinked).

Item: Fire doors

Peterborough City Council Standard: 30-minute fire doors (complete with self-closers, intumescent strips, cold smoke seals and 3x 100mm heavy duty hinges) to all letting rooms, common lounges and kitchens (and boiler cupboards if located on the escape route).

Item: Fire escape windows

Peterborough City Council Standard: Using window escape as the primary escape route is not considered good practice or appropriate for all potential occupiers to use, if the alternative passes through a communal kitchen or similar risk room. The layout should be revised to provide a primary route that exits the building directly or uses a protected route avoiding risk rooms and provides a window escape as the alternative means of escape.

Item: Emergency lighting

Peterborough City Council Standard: Dwelling with a shared kitchen: Conventional lighting and emergency escape lighting.

Dwelling with cooking in bedsits: Conventional lighting and emergency escape lighting.

Item: Means of escape

Peterborough City Council Standard: Locks on doors to all letting rooms and all external doors must operate a thumb turn facility meaning the locks can be operated from the inside without using a key.

Electrical safety

As a landlord, you have a number of electrical safety obligations over your property to ensure the installation is safe for the tenant, these include:

  • Ensuring the electrical installation of the property is safe at the beginning and throughout the tenancy. A qualified electrician can carry out an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) to ensure the installation within your property is safe.
  • Ensuring any appliances are safe throughout the tenancy. This can be achieved through annual portable appliance testing and ensuring all appliances purchased come with the CE marking.

For HMO landlords, making sure all electrical appliances that you have provided are safe for use is compulsory.

Portable appliance testing is a check performed by a competent person on electrical appliances to ensure they are safe for use. The test involves a visual inspection, though the tester will also use a specialist device to test polarity, insulation etc. It is a brief and routine test and relatively low cost.

Anything you as a landlord have supplied with a plug will need testing. This includes washing machines and electrical cookers - appliances which aren't 'portable' in any sense of the word.

The declaration below is what you will be required to provide to the Local Housing Authority:

  • The details of the site that has been tested
  • An entry for each appliance along with whether it has passed or failed a check
  • Individual re-test dates
  • The details of the person or company that performed the test

Management regulations

The management regulations are applicable to all HMOs, whether or not they are licensed.

These regulations place duties on the manager to ensure matters such as fire precautions, Health and Safety, maintenance of water supplies, drainage, gas and electricity are maintained in proper working order.

The regulations also place a duty on tenants to behave in an orderly manner and not to hinder the manager in the carrying out of these duties. Anyone believed to have contravened these regulations can be issued with a financial penalty of up to £30,000 or a prosecution with an unlimited fine. Non compliance with the legislation may affect your ability to hold a licence and could result in a banning order and the Council taking over the management of the property. 

SI-372 HMO Management186KB–pdf
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Last updated: 24 February 2026
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