National minimum sleeping-room conditions
From 1 October 2018, mandatory conditions for Part 2 HMO licences include minimum sleeping-room areas. Examples are 6.51m² for one adult, 10.22m² for two adults and 4.64m² for one child under ten. A room smaller than 4.64m² cannot be used for sleeping. [1]
The measurement excludes floor area where the ceiling height is below 1.5m. Loft-room measurements therefore need to account for the roof slope, rather than use every square metre shown on a floor plan. The licence also specifies the permitted occupancy of individual rooms. [1]
These conditions apply to the relevant licensed HMOs, including those licensed under additional schemes. They are not a universal planning standard for every bedroom or every new self-contained flat. [1] [3]
Why a borough may require a larger room
The national minima do not prevent a council applying higher standards where appropriate. Shared facilities and living space affect the assessment; meeting the national sleeping-room figure alone does not establish that a property is suitable for the proposed occupancy. [1]
Harrow's published standards illustrate this distinction. For a single-person unit sharing a separate kitchen only, its table specifies a 10m² bedroom; different arrangements with suitable shared dining or living provision use different combinations of room areas. It would be wrong to describe 6.51m² as the complete Harrow design rule for every layout. [2]
Check the actual category and full table, not an isolated number copied from it. Do not apply Harrow's standards automatically in another borough. [2]
Kitchens, bathrooms and shared space
The design should show the facilities available to each resident and the number sharing them. Harrow's standards address cooking equipment, food storage, worktop provision, washing facilities and the size and arrangement of shared rooms. Its bathing and toilet requirements also depend on occupancy. [2]
For the design brief, label the intended users of each shared facility. A kitchen described as serving several rooms should be assessed for that combined use, rather than counted independently for each bedroom.
Fire safety needs a property-specific assessment
Escape arrangements, fire-resisting separation, doors, detection and the layout need to work together. A generic list of fire-door ratings or alarm products does not establish an appropriate strategy for every HMO. The council's standards and the building's assessed risks should inform the design. [2]
Where the Fire Safety Order applies to common parts, a fire-risk assessment is a separate exercise from obtaining an alarm certificate. Salford's explanation for Section 257 blocks makes that distinction explicitly. [4]
Before fitting out or increasing occupancy
Agree the planning use, licensing scope and room schedule together. Check whether the physical alterations require building-regulations approval and whether the finished layout still matches the licence application. Neither a planning label nor a bedroom area alone approves the whole arrangement. [1] [5]
Retain the agreed plans, licence conditions and relevant safety evidence, and revisit them before converting shared space into another bedroom. [1]