Brighton HMO amenity standards

Brighton & Hove’s HMO Licensing Standards and Conditions page explains the standards the council sets for licensed HMOs under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004. It covers shared houses in Part 1 and bedsits or non-self-contained units in Part 2, plus cross-cutting rules for all HMOs. The guidance informs licence conditions for both mandatory and additional HMO licensing schemes.

Source: Brighton & Hove — HMO Licensing Standards and Conditions.

For shared houses Brighton sets a single bedroom at 6.51 m² and a double at 10.22 m². Only floor area where the ceiling is 1.5 m or higher counts, and a conservatory is not counted as a bedroom, lounge, dining room or kitchen. A child of any age counts as a separate occupant for these size tests.

Shared-house kitchens without dining space run from 6.5 m² for three to four people up to 10 m² for nine people, with larger figures where dining sits inside the kitchen. Between 10 and 18 occupants a second fully equipped kitchen is required, then a further kitchen for every nine additional occupants. Those kitchen tables often decide whether a measured house can hold the marketed room count.

Amenity standards step up with occupancy: up to four people need at least one bathroom and one WC (which may be combined), while five people need a bathroom plus a separate WC with wash hand basin. Bedsit rooms have their own size table, including 13 m² / 15 m² where the kitchen is in the room. Sale route: Sell an HMO in Brighton.

Brighton’s published standards rest on England’s licensing regulations and the 2018 bedroom floors, then add local kitchen and bathroom tables. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use different HMO statutes. Overview: HMO standards.