Brent HMO amenity standards

Brent’s conditions for the mandatory and additional HMO property licensing scheme include an appendix of amenities and space standards. The council says those standards are applied when deciding suitability at licence approval and ongoing compliance. Bedroom, kitchen and sanitary guidance all sit in that appendix.

Source: Brent — Conditions for mandatory HMO licensing (PDF).

Single occupancy needs at least 6.5 m² with a separate shared kitchen, or 10.2 m² where the room contains kitchen facilities. Two-person occupancy needs 10.2 m² with a shared kitchen, or 13.9 m² with kitchen facilities in the room. Solid chimney breasts and ensuite bathrooms are discounted, and floor under 1.53 m ceiling height is disregarded.

Where exclusive kitchens are not practicable, Brent allows communal kitchens on a ratio of one set of facilities to every three households or every five persons, normally whichever is smaller. A kitchen with one set of facilities should be at least 5.5 m², and there shall be no more than two sets in any one room. The kitchen should be no more than one floor distant from any letting unless a suitable communal dining area sits next to it.

One water closet is required for every five persons or fewer, and each WC must sit in a separate room. Not less than fifty percent of water closets must be in separate compartments from the bathrooms. Sale route: Sell an HMO in Brent.

Brent’s appendix is a borough restatement of England licensing amenity practice with explicit in-room cooking uplifts on the bedroom table. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use different HMO statutes and amenity manuals. Overview: HMO standards.