Standards in houses of multiple occupation

Gas and electricity

Where gas appliances are provided, for example, central heating boiler and cooker, a gas safety certificate must be obtained in respect of the property every 12 months.

Electrical appliances (that are provided by the landlord) must be maintained in a safe condition and PAT tested every 12 months by a competent electrical engineer, NICEIC, NAPIT or equivalent.

The electrical installation within the property (i.e. wiring, sockets, switches, lights etc.) must be maintained in a safe condition every 5 years by a competent electrical engineer, NICEIC, NAPIT or equivalent.

Fire safety

Units of accommodation within HMO must be provided with adequate fire fighting equipment, for example, dry powder fire extinguishers or fire blankets.

HMO of two storeys or more must be provided with a hard wired Fire Detection System, including battery back up, smoke or heat detectors that meets current EU standards for automatic fire warning systems. The fire warning system must be adequately maintained by a suitably qualified person.

The HMO must be provided with a minimum 30 minute fire protected route of escape which must be kept clear of any obstruction. Every bedroom and kitchen must be provided with a 30 minute fire resistant door and frame.

HMO of three storeys or more should be provided with an emergency lighting system along the protected route of escape.

Shared washing and sanitary facilities

Where all or some of the units of living accommodation within an HMO do not contain bathing and toilet facilities for the exclusive use of each individual household, the HMO must be provided with at least one bathroom with a fixed bath or shower, a wash hand basin with appropriate splash back and a toilet (which may be situated in the bathroom) for every five or fewer occupiers sharing those facilities

All baths, showers and wash hand basins must be equipped with taps providing an adequate supply of cold and constant hot water.

All bathrooms must be suitably and adequately heated and ventilated.

All bathrooms and toilets must be of an adequate size and layout and be suitably located in, or within reasonable proximity to the living accommodation in the property

Kitchen facilities

Where all or some of the units of accommodation within an HMO do not contain any facilities for the cooking of food, the HMO must be provided with the following:

A kitchen suitably located in relation to the living accommodation and of such layout and size and equipped with such facilities so as to adequately enable those sharing facilities to store, prepare and cook food.

Equipment listed below which must be fit for purpose and supplied in sufficient quantity for the numbers of those sharing facilities:

• 1 sink with an adequate supply of cold and constant hot water, draining board(s) and adequate waste drainage, for every 5 sharing occupiers
• cooker comprising four rings or hot plates, an oven and grill, for every 5 sharing occupiers
• 6 electrical sockets (3 doubles) and separate additional sockets for dedicated appliances, for example, cooker or refrigerator
• worktops (0.5m2 per user, up to a maximum requirement of 2m2) for the preparation of food
• cupboards for the storage of all types of food (0.4m3 per user)
• cupboards for storage of kitchen and cooking utensils
• appropriate extractor fan
• refrigerators with an adequate freezing compartment (or, where the freezer compartment is not adequate, adequate separate freezers)
• appropriate refuse disposal facilities
• appropriate fire blanket sited away from the cooker
• appropriate fire doors

Heating

Each unit of accommodation within an HMO must have an adequate system of heating which is capable of providing heat to the whole dwelling.