PROPERTY FITNESS STANDARDS
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Fitness for Human Habitation
Management Standards
Structure of a Dwelling
Room Sizes and Arrangements
Dampness and Condensation
Heating
Provision for Heating
Windows, Lighting and Ventilation
Ventilation
Lighting
Glazing - Safety in Relation to Impact, Opening and Cleaning
Insulation
Conservation of Fuel and Power
Kitchen Facilities
Requirements for Single Persons Accommodation
Sanitary and Drainage
Fitness Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation - Bathrooms and Toilets
Fitness Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation - Kitchen Facilities
Kitchen Facilities - Single Person Accommodation
Kitchen Facilities - Hostels
Fitness for Human Habitation
Housing fitness standards are mainly determined by section 604 of the Housing Act (1985). The current standard was introduced by the Local Government and Housing Act (1989) (paragraph 83 of schedule 9) but basically the fitness standard has changed very little since its introduction in the mid-nineteenth century. They are currently being reviewed as part of the consultation on mandatory licensing.
To assist local authorities in determining whether a property is fit or unfit, the housing fitness standard comprises a set of requirements deemed to be the minimum necessary for a dwelling house to be fit for human habitation.
The main functions of the fitness standard are:
- To serve as a yardstick of the minimum health and safety requirements for housing to be fit for human habitation
- To trigger enforcement intervention
- To provide a basis for determining the works to be grant aided under part 1 of the Housing, Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act (1996)
- To provide a 'bottom line' indication of housing stock conditions for the purposes of monitoring and resource allocation
In order to determine whether a property meets the fitness standard, its condition needs to be assessed to see if it fails one or more of the following requirements:
- It is structurally stable
- It is free from serious disrepairIt is free from dampness prejudicial to the health of the occupants (if any)
- It has adequate provision for lighting, heating and ventilation
- It has an adequate piped supply of wholesome water
- There are satisfactory facilities in the dwelling house for the preparation and cooking of food, including a sink with a satisfactory supply of hot and cold water
- It has a suitably located water closet for the exclusive use of the occupants (if any)
- It has, for the exclusive use of the occupants (if any), a suitably located fixed bath or shower and wash hand basin each of which is provided with a satisfactory supply of hot and cold water
- It has an effective system for the draining of foul, waste and surface water
The act defines fitness for human habitation as follows:
'The premises shall be deemed unfit if, and only if, they are so far defective in one or more of these matters, that they are not reasonably suitable for occupation in that condition'.
Note also that for the purposes of subsection 604(1) a dwelling house is defined as including any yard, garden, outhouses and appurtenances belonging to it or normally enjoyed with it'.
If the dwelling house is a flat, it is unfit for habitation if in the opinion of the local authority it fails to meet one of the following requirements:
- The building or part is structurally unstable
- There is serious disrepair
- It suffers from dampness
- It has inadequate provision for ventilation
- It does not have an effective system for the draining of foul, waste and surface water.
Management Standards
A landlord must comply with all of the following. Failure to do so may bring enforcement action from the local authority:
- To ensure that all means of water supply and drainage are maintained in good repair and clean condition
- To maintain supplies of gas, electricity and water to the tenants in a property
- To keep passageways, stairways and entrances reasonably clear from obstruction
- To keep installations responsible for the supply of lighting, heating and hot water in good repair and to ensure that w.c.'s, baths, basins, sinks and kitchen facilities are all kept in good order.
- To keep all windows and other means of ventilation in good repair and proper working order
- To keep all smoke detection systems properly maintained and regularly tested
- To keep outbuildings, yards and gardens clean and in good order and to keep walls, fences and railings in good repair so as not to constitute a danger to residents
- To provide proper arrangements for refuse storage and disposal
- To ensure that the design and structural condition of the property (especially roof and balconies and low cills on staircases do not present a danger to residents
Structure of a Dwelling
Definition
Structural stability of a dwelling is defined in the Housing Act 1985, which simply states that a dwelling house is to be 'structurally stable'.
Premises are to be of substantially sound construction and free from significant or progressive structural defects such as dangerously sagging roofs, settled, fractured or leaning walls, loose masonry, leaning chimney stacks, excessively sloped or collapsing floors.
Structural stability is concerned with the basic integrity of the building, that is the stability of the basic structure or major parts of the structure down to such elements as chimneys, parapets, window arches and lintels. It is not concerned with matters that can be resolved by repair (fitness standard 2.5, Repair, 3.5, 3.6 & 3.7)
The purpose of maintaining structural stability is not only to avoid safety hazards of a catastrophic nature such as death and injury due to collapse, but, by preventing severe settlement cracks, to avoid health hazards such as those resulting from cracked sewers, fractured damp-proof courses and water and wind penetration (Govt. circular 17/96)
Structural Requirements for the Construction of a Dwelling
Full information can be found in Approved Document A of the Building Regulations 1991 (including the 1994 amendments) which can be purchased from the Stationery Office.
Room Sizes and Arrangements
Room Standards
Single household dwellings are to be occupied in such a manner that the overcrowding standard as prescribed in section10 of the Housing Act (1985) is not exceeded.
Under section 325 of the Housing Act (1985) the room standard is contravened when the number of persons sleeping in a dwelling and the number of rooms available as sleeping accommodation is such that two persons who are not living as husband and wife must sleep in the same room.
For this purpose:
a) Children under 10 years old will not be taken into account
b) A room is available as sleeping accommodation if it is of a type normally used in the locality either as a bedroom or a living room.
Space Standards
Under section 326 of the Housing Act (1985) the space standard is contravened when the number of persons sleeping in the dwelling is in excess of the permitted number, having regards to the number and floor area of the rooms of the dwelling available as sleeping accommodation.
For this purpose:
- No account is taken of a child less than 1 year of age.
- A child aged 1 - 10 years equals ½ a unit.
- A room is available as sleeping accommodation if it is a type used in the locality either as a living room or a bedroom
The permitted number of persons in relation to the number of rooms available in the dwelling (note: not an HMO) as sleeping accommodation is whichever is the less of:
- The number specified in table 1 in relation to the number of rooms in the
dwelling available as sleeping accommodation
and - The aggregate for all such rooms in the dwelling of the numbers specified to each room of the floor area specified in column 1
No account shall be taken of a room having a floor area of less than 50 sq. feet.
Table 1
| No. of rooms | No. of Persons |
| 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 5 |
| 4 | 7 1/2 |
| 5 or more | 2 for each room |
Table 2
| Floor area of Room | No. of Persons |
| 110 sq. ft. or more | 1 1/2 |
| 90 - < 110 sq. ft. | 1 |
| 70 - < 90 sq. ft. | 5 |
| 50 - < 70 sq. ft. | 1/2 |
For Houses in Multiple Occupation space standards for a single room issued by the Chartered Institute of Housing are as follows:
With a sink but no cooking facilities : 110 sq. ft.
With both cooking and washing facilities : 150 sq. ft.*
(*230 sq. ft. for a double room)
Internal Arrangement :
This deals with any feature which inhibits the safe or unhampered passage of occupants in the dwelling (e.g. narrow or steep and winding staircases, absence of hand rails, inadequate landings outside bedrooms, ill-defined changes of floor levels, a bedroom entered only through another bedroom. Most importantly it includes a W.C. opening directly from a living room or Kitchen.
Dampness and Condensation
Dampness
Dampness relating to the fitness standard is described in the Housing Act -1985 as follows:
A dwelling house is to be 'free from dampness prejudicial to the health of the occupants (if any)' MHLG circ. 19/67 also states:
'Any dampness should not be so extensive or so pervasive as to be a threat to the health of the occupants'. Such items as a small patch of damp caused by defective pointing around window reveals or door jambs or by a defective rain water pipe are due to disrepair rather than inherent dampness. Care must also be taken not to be misled by temporary condensation
However under Section 79-82 Environmental Protection Act 1990 (statutory nuisances) it has been established that condensation dampness can be dangerous to health and that this may be attributable to the construction of the property (GLC V London Borough of Tower Hamlets - 1983). This can also be linked to whether there is sufficient ventilation (e.g. blocking up flues or ventilation bricks)
Dampness - The fitness Standard
A dwelling house is unfit for human habitation if in the view of the local authority, it suffers from dampness prejudicial to the health of the occupants.
Landlords should therefore take action against:
- Rising damp in walls and floors
- Penetrating damp through roofs, walls or other parts of the building
- Interstitial condensation in the building fabric (where detectable)
- Surface condensation
- Mould growth and mildew
Wet surfaces encourage the formation of moulds, which have been associated with ill-health.
The presence of excess moisture can also lead to instability and disrepair through the decay of building materials (metal ties, plasterwork, swelling and warping of timber etc.). Moisture levels in timber in excess of 22% will encourage the germination and growth of wood rotting fungi.
Heating
The Housing Act (1985) states that a dwelling house will 'have adequate provision for heating and ventilation'.
There should therefore be sufficient provision for heating in a property both for the health and comfort of the tenants and to prevent extensive condensation (particularly on older properties)
Provision for Heating
The Main Living Room
There should either be a central heating radiator or a fixed heating appliance (gas fire, fixed electric convector or storage heater, smokeless fuel open fire/stove or oil-fired stove) capable of heating the room to 18o C. when the outside air temperature is -1o C. (Circ. 19/76)
If no heating appliance is installed then the following provisions should be made:
- For electric heaters, at least one 13 amp power socket reasonably dedicated for the use of a plug-in electric heater
- For gas fires, a working gas point with shut-off valve plus associated gas fire opening with a working flue or a working gas point with space adjacent for a balanced flue gas heater (heeding regulations about placing flues near opening windows and doors).
- For solid fuel fires, a fireplace with working flue and hearth constructed from non-inflammable material
Other Habitable Rooms
All other rooms are to be provided with either fixed heating appliances or provision for heating (as described above) which will heat the room to a temperature of 16o C. when the outside air temperature is -1o C.
Heat Producing Appliances
A heating installation will conform to Approved Document J (Heat Producing Appliances) of the Building Regulations - 1991 if it:
- Receives sufficient air for the proper combustion of the fuel and operation of the flue
- Is capable of normal operation without the products of combustion (gases) becoming a hazard to health
- Is capable of normal operation without causing damage by heat or fire to the fabric of the building.
Overall, the heating provided should be sufficient, when combined with adequate ventilation to prevent severe or persuasive condensation and mould growth. In this respect, a fixed paraffin appliance (if this were the main heating appliance) for example may well fail to meet the requirement.
Windows, Lighting and Ventilation
Natural Lighting
The statutory requirement for a dwelling house is that 'it has adequate provision for lighting' (Housing Act -1985)
In deciding whether a dwelling-house is fit or not fit, a local authority will consider whether it currently has provision for sufficient natural lighting in habitable rooms to enable the normal activities of a household to be carried out safely and conveniently, without the use of artificial light during normal daytime conditions. It should also consider whether the dwelling house has provision for sufficient artificial lighting in all habitable rooms, kitchens and bathrooms, and W.C. and circulation spaces, to enable the normal activities of a household to be carried out, safely and conveniently and to permit the normal passage of the occupant without increasing the risk of accident (Circ. 19/76 sec. 8.2)
Bathrooms should preferably have ceiling pull switches or a wall switch outside the room (Fitness Standard 2.16)
Ventilation
The Fitness standard requires that all habitable rooms and working kitchens should be ventilated by external air: for example, windows should be capable of opening to such an extent that fresh air can readily circulate to all parts of the room. Windows, satisfactory in themselves, can be made unsatisfactory by external obstructions.
Section 604 of the Housing Act (1985) also states 'A landlord is required to apply his mind to the necessity of ventilation, and, if need be, to insulation and heating. The landlord must provide a combination of these factors to make a house habitable for the tenant'.
To reduce serious condensation (even when there is adequate heating) and pollutants which may become a hazard to the health of any occupants, Landlords should consider the following:
- The total size of ventilation openings in a habitable room and naturally ventilated kitchen, bathroom or W.C. compartment should not be less than 1/20th of the floor area (fitness standard 2.11)
- Ventilation by mechanical means should provide at least one air change per hour in habitable rooms and kitchens and preferably 3 per hour in bathrooms and W.C. compartments (Repair 3.9)
Current Regulations
The following requirements are taken from section F of the Building Regulations - 1991:
All rooms must wherever possible be provided with adequate natural ventilation by means of openable windows or ventilators. The total openable area is to be the equivalent to 1/10th of the floor area of the room and must open directly to the outside air. If this requirement is met, then two habitable rooms maybe treated as a single room if there is an area of permanent opening between them.
The following variations are acceptable:
- Kitchens, bathrooms and separate toilet compartments not having access to a window to be provided with electric powered mechanical extractor fans operationally linked to the light switch with 10 minute override (minimum) and venting direct to the outside air. Extractor fans fitted to kitchens and bathrooms subject to excessive condensation to be additionally fitted with automatic humidistat control. Minimum extract rates to be 60 litres/second (kitchens) or 15 litres/second (bathroom). Utility rooms require an extraction rate of 30 litres/second, which also applies to kitchens if the extractor is adjacent to a hob.
However where a gas appliance is located in a Kitchen the maximum
Recommended extraction rate is 20 litres/second.
- Habitable rooms not having an openable window to be provided with mechanical input (not extract) ventilation capable of achieving one air change per hour and taking in air directly from the outside.
- Roofs and sub floor spaces (including cellars) to be provided with adequate ventilation to prevent excessive condensation and conditions suitable for timber decay
Lighting
Natural Lighting :
All habitable rooms to be provided with a clear glazed window (or windows) equivalent in size to 1/20th of the floor area of the room in order to provide natural lighting. Windows to be of suitable design and location to give as far as possible an even spread of light.
Normally some part of the window should be at least 1.75 metres above floor level. Underground rooms or basements used for living purposes must be individually assessed against recommended standards to ensure adequate lighting and ventilation.
Artificial Lighting
All habitable rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and W.C. compartments to have at least one ceiling light or suitably located wall lighting with the capacity to enable normal domestic activities to be undertaken without strain after dark. Hallways, landings, passages and stairways must also have adequate lighting and in particular the light switches to these areas are to be suitably located so that they can easily be reached without having to walk any distance in darkness. Minute switches (where provided) must be set to a minimum of 20 minutes.
Artificial Lighting :
All habitable rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and W.C. compartments to have at least one ceiling light or suitably located wall lighting with the capacity to enable normal domestic activities to be undertaken without strain after dark. Hallways, landings, passages and stairways must also have adequate lighting and in particular the light switches to these areas are to be suitably located so that they can easily be reached without having to walk any distance in darkness. Minute switches (where provided) must be set to a minimum of 20 minutes.
Glazing - Safety in Relation to Impact, Opening and Cleaning
The Building regulations (1991) specify the following:
In critical locations (e.g. doors, side panels etc.) measures need to be taken to avoid the risk of sustaining cutting and piercing injuries.
Therefore glazing that people are likely to come into contact with shall:
- If broken on impact, break in a way that is unlikely to cause injury (e.g. it breaks to form harmless particles);or
- Resist impact without breaking; or
- Be shielded or protected from impact
Windows, Skylights and ventilators which can be opened by people in or about the building shall be so constructed or equipped that they may be opened, closed or adjusted safely.
Controls must be reached without having to lean over an obstruction and should be not more than 1.9 metres above the floor. Where there is an obstruction, the control should be lower (nor more than 1.7 metres) and where there is a 600 mm deep obstruction (including any recess) not more than 900 mm high.
Where controls cannot be positioned within safe reach from a permanent stable surface, a safe means of remote operation should be provided.
Safe Access for Cleaning Windows
Under the Building Regulations (Amendment Regulations 1997) provision must be made for any windows, skylights and transparent or translucent walls, ceilings or roofs to be safely accessible for cleaning (i.e. provision for cleaning both sides of glazed surfaces where there is a danger of falling more than 2 metres).
Insulation
The construction of the dwelling and its condition should not be such as to result in excessive heat loss. In this respect a dwelling is not expected to be insulated to modern standards, but should be constructed of materials and in a manner to give an adequate basic level of thermal insulation.
For example, a dwelling house with large areas of 11.5 mm brick external wall or constructed of uninsulated or poorly insulated metal or asbestos cement may well fail the required standard (Fitness Standard 2.13)
Current building regulations require the fabric of the building to be such design and construction to prevent excessive heat loss and the occurrence of serious condensation problems (also see section on ventilation)
Traditionally constructed buildings consisting of solid 225 mm brickwork or 275 mm cavity brickwork walls with pitched roofs, single glazed windows and suspended timber floors or concrete ground slab will normally be sufficient to meet these requirements.
However non-traditional system built properties or those of unusual design or having large single glazed windows may need more careful assessment of their insulation values, particularly where condensation is a problem (e.g. many of the properties built in the 1960's)
Conservation of Fuel and Power
The following are requirements under Approved Document L of the Building Regulations - 1991 as amended in 1994:
- An energy rating needs to be provided where a new dwelling is created by building work. This will be done by means of a procedure approved by the Secretary of State (SAP- Standard Assessment Procedure) and the result must be given to the local authority.
- A maximum energy rating will be achieved by:
- Limiting heat loss through the roof, walls, windows, doors (etc.) and where appropriate permitting the benefit of solar heat gains.
- Installing efficient heating systems and effective control of heating and hot water systems
- Limiting unnecessary ventilation heat loss by reducing air leakage around openings and through the building fabric
- Limiting the heat loss through hot water vessels and hot water pies and ducts
Cavity Insulation - UF Foam
UF foam gives off formaldehyde fumes and should only be used to insulate a cavity wall where there is a continuous barrier which will minimise as far as practicable the passage of fumes into occupiable parts.
(Source: Approved Document D of the Building Regulations - 1991)
Kitchen Facilities
The statutory requirement for a dwelling house is that 'there are satisfactory facilities in the dwelling house for the preparation and cooking of food, including a sink with a satisfactory supply of hot and cold water' (Housing Act - 1985)
In order to ensure that a property complies, landlords should provide the following:
- A sink and drainer together with a constantly available supply of hot and cold running water. The hot water may be from a central source or from a stored and instantaneous unit water heater capable of promoting an adequate and safe supply.
- A securely fixed working surface which is smooth, hard wearing and easily cleaned
- For the cooking of food there shall be a full sized cooker (four rings, oven plus grill) properly connected to an approved connection point (gas or electric). Cookers shall be safest located to ensure the provision of work surface on at least one adjacent side. There should also be sufficient space for the placement/retrieval of food from the oven/grill.
- In unfurnished accommodation where the cooker is not provided by the landlord there will be a space available to safely locate a cooker and a suitable gas/electric point to which it can be connected.
- There should be an adequate number of suitably located power points for the safe use of kitchen appliances (Fitness Standard 2.16)
The dimensions of the kitchen or kitchen area should be sufficient for the safe provision of all the necessary facilities.
Requirements for Single Persons Accommodation
These units of accommodation may have the reduced provision:
- A gas or electric cooker with a minimum of two burners. hobs, an oven and grill. Alternatively a microwave oven may be substituted for one or two of the burners / hobs respectively.
- A gas or electric refrigerator of 0.15 cu. metres capacity plus a storage cupboard of 0.16 cu. metres capacity.
- A worktop or table of smooth and impervious material of minimum size 500 X 1000 mm.
- A metal or ceramic sink and drainer in good condition and of 500 X 600 mm minimum dimensions, set on a stable base with a constant supply of hot and (potable) cold water.
Sanitary and Drainage
Drainage and Sanitary Conveniences
The statutory requirement is for 'an effective system for the draining of foul, waste and surface water (Housing Act 1985).
The following is a requirement for all dwellings:
'There should be a readily accessible water closet for the exclusive use of the occupants of the dwelling in a properly lighted and ventilated compartment. The W.C. and bath and shower (if any) should be connected to an efficient disposal system i.e. a public sewerage system, septic tank or cesspool capable of dealing with the normal discharge. There should be adequate means for the disposal of water from roof surfaces and yard paving. Gutters and disposal pipes should be capable of dealing with the normal discharge. (Source - MHLG Circular 67/69 App., para 2.)
A dwelling house is unfit for human habitation, if, in the authority's view, it lacks an effective system for the drainage of foul, waste and surface water (DETR circular 17/96)
Sanitary Pipework
The following are requirements under Approved Document H (Drainage and Waste Disposal) of the Building Regulations 1991:
- All points of discharge into the system should be fitted with a water seal (Trap) to prevent foul air from the system from entering the building
- Branch pipes should discharge into another branch pipe or discharge stack unless the appliances are on the ground floor. In which case the pipes may discharge to a sub-stack or discharge stack, directly to a drain or to a gully (waste water only)
- All discharge stacks should discharge to a drain and should be ventilated (DETR circular 7/96)
Rainwater and Drainage
DETR circular 17/96 states:
- Any system which carries rainwater away from the roof of a building to a sewer, a soakaway, a water course or some other suitable rainwater outfall shall be adequate
- Rainwater or surface water should not be drained into a cesspool or septic tank.
- Some authorities operate sewers carrying both foul water and rainwater (combined systems) in the same pipe. There should be sufficient capacity for both in the system.
Responsibility for Drains
The 1936 Public Health Act made a distinction between public and private sewers
Generally if a house was built before 1 October 1937, and the drainage pipe is draining more than one property including its land (known in law as the curtilage), then the sewer is a public sewer.
If a pipe is draining one property, constructed prior to 1 October 1937, or it serves a number of properties built after that date, this would be a private sewer.
Public sewers are usually maintained by the local water authority, as are the main sewers in the road.
Private sewers are the responsibility of the landowner, property owner, or occupier.
Which House is Responsible for a Blockage?
When a private sewer becomes blocked, all the properties from the point of the blockage back up the line of the pipe are responsible for ensuring it is cleared, but not those below it.
Where householders, occupiers or land owners refuse to accept responsibilities under legislation, then the council may take formal action against all owners of premises draining through the affected pipe, and if necessary, ensure that it is satisfactorily cleared and recover the cost as a civil debt from all persons affected.
Fitness Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation - Bathrooms and Toilets
The statutory requirements for an HMO are as follows:
- It will have 'an adequate number of suitably located WCs for the
exclusive use of the occupants'
- It will have 'an adequate number of suitably located fixed baths or showers
and wash-hand basins each provided with a satisfactory supply of hot and cold water, for the exclusive use of the occupants'
(Source: Housing Act -1985 Section 352 (1A))
An authority may serve a notice in respect of an HMO under section 352 if, in the opinion of the authority, it lacks for the exclusive use of the occupants, an adequate number of suitably located WCs or an adequate number of suitably located fixed baths or showers and wash-hand basins each with a satisfactory supply of hot and cold water, and, having regard to the number of occupants accommodated there, for either reason is not reasonably suitable for occupation by those occupants.
To meet the requirements:
Dependant on the type of HMO and the physical constraints, each unit of accommodation should have: a W.C., wash-hand basin and fixed bath or shower within the unit of accommodation; or a wash-hand basin within the unit and the other amenities on the same floor; or all amenities outside the unit but on the same floor; or, at least, all amenities generally not more than one floor distant.
The provision of all basic amenities within each unit of accommodation is the ideal standard to be aimed for, but it is recognised that in an HMO the sharing of some amenities may have to be accepted.
Location of Amenities:
Where amenities are shared, each occupant should be able to reach a WC, wash basin and bath or shower without having to pass through accommodation which is occupied exclusively by another household. Although it is desirable that amenities should be on the same floor as the accommodation this may not always be possible.
Number of Amenities Required:
Where WCs, washbasins and fixed baths or showers are shared, they should be provided in the ratio of not less than one of each amenity per five individuals sharing such amenities. This ratio should apply regardless of whether or not the amenities are shared between households, but to count the amenities should be inside the HMO.
Where there are up to five occupants sharing a single WC, this should be separate from the bathroom or shower room, although his may be considered unnecessary in small HMOs occupied on a shared basis by five or fewer individuals, where the occupants live as a single household for some activities but not for others.
Where there are more than five occupants, it would be expected that about half of all shared WC's would be separate from bathrooms or shower rooms.
To count as present, each basic amenity should be of adequate size and be connected through a suitable trap to an effective drainage system.
Layout
Any bathroom, shower room or compartment containing a WC should be separated from any space such as a kitchen used for the preparation of food. Although an intervening lobby is not essential, the WC compartment should not open directly onto the area of a kitchen immediately adjacent to where food is prepared.
The layout should be such as to encourage WC users to wash their hands in a wash basin and not in a sink used for food preparation. Ideally each WC compartment should contain a wash basin, although a readily accessible wash basin adjacent to the room containing the WC will suffice.
Ventilation and Lighting
All WC's, washbasins and baths should be located in properly compartmented rooms or spaces which have at least artificial lighting, and which are either naturally or mechanically ventilated. This will be especially important where the amenities are shared, but if located within a small unit of accommodation, certain amenities such as a wash-hand basin may be suitably positioned in other rooms, for example in a bedroom.
Hygiene
Each bathroom, shower or WC compartment should have surfaces, which are designed to be reasonably smooth and non-absorbent and capable of being easily cleaned. Floors should be slip resistant.
Fitness Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation - Kitchen Facilities
The statutory requirement for an HMO is that it will have 'satisfactory facilities for the storage, preparation and cooking of food including an adequate number of sinks with a satisfactory supply of hot and cold water' (Housing Act - 1985 - section 352 (1a))
Meeting the Requirement:
Kitchen facilities should be of sufficient space, located, designed and installed so as to not be prejudicial to health and safety or cause serious inconvenience to those occupants (DETR circ. 12/92)
Landlords should therefore have regard for the following:
- The type of provision and location of facilities - Kitchen facilities within each unit of accommodation should be aimed for (although it is recognised that in some HMOs sharing of facilities is unavoidable). A kitchen with dining facilities would then be ideal but if this is not possible, it must be possible for an occupant to consume cooked food not more than one floor distant
- The scale of provisions - there should be sufficient facilities to enable all occupants to prepare and cook food at all reasonable meal times (although this does not mean that they should all be able to cook simultaneously). The main facilities required are fixed sinks with hot and cold water, cookers, fixed worktops and food storage facilities
Sinks, Appliances and Kitchen Units
- For occupancies where cooking is shared, there should normally be one sink and one full-sized cooker (4 rings, oven and grill) for every 3 small households.
However, in houses occupied on a shared basis by five or fewer individuals (typically students) where the occupants live as a single household for some activities but not for others, one sink and one full-sized cooker may be regarded as sufficient. Cookers should be located remote from doorways and there should be sufficient floor space for items to be retrieved from the oven.
- Each sink should have an impervious easily cleanable surface and be located on a stable base unit. It will have a supply of constant hot and cold water.
- There should also be an adequate provision of worktops for the preparation of food of adequate depth and firmly secured. Facilities for the storage of food should be appropriate to the number and size of households. The expected minimum level of provision for one individual would be a refrigerator of 0.13 m3. And a dry goods storage of 0.3 m3 (DETR circ. 12/92).
Electrical Sockets
For the safe use of kitchen appliances there should be at least two power points in each kitchen plus an additional point for each extra household sharing that kitchen besides any socket used for an electric cooker or oven. Sockets should be positioned immediately adjacent to the work surface
Safety
All work-surfaces walls and floors should be non-porous and smooth to facilitate cleaning. Facilities which are in a poor state of repair, dirty or in otherwise poor condition may be dealt with by a local authority serving a notice under section 372 of the Housing Act -1985 (Notice to Remedy Neglect of Management)
Ventilation and Light
A kitchen and kitchen areas should have adequate provision for, at least, artificial lighting and for either natural or mechanical ventilation
Kitchen Facilities - Single Person Accommodation
Cooking facilities in one-person accommodation may take the form of portable electric appliances, so long as these are not shared. Each such facility should have at least 2 hot rings or equivalent and a grill and oven.
Kitchen Facilities - Hostels
Where food is provided communally, such as in some hostels, kitchen facilities should allow all residents to be catered for at normal meal times.
