Apply for a house of multiple occupation licence (HMO)

Kitchens

Legal requirements

There must be a kitchen, near to the living area. It must be the right size and layout to allow those sharing to store, prepare and cook food

The kitchen must have the following equipment. This must be fit for the purpose and there should be enough for the number of people sharing the facilities:

• sinks with draining boards
• a supply of cold and constant hot water to each sink supplied
• installations or equipment for the cooking of food
• electrical sockets
• worktops for the preparation of food
• cupboards for the storage of food or kitchen and cooking utensils
• refrigerators with an adequate freezer section. (Where the freezer section is not adequate, adequate separate freezers)
• rubbish bins
• extractor fans, fire blankets and fire doors

Our standards

• shared kitchens must have amenities (sink, fridge, cooker, 1m worktop space). One appliance for every 6 tenants.
• each cooker in a shared kitchen is to have four rings or burners, and an oven and grill (or equivalent). Cookers should be safely located with space around them, on a secure surface
• in a non-shared kitchen (for example, a bedsit) you must provide a sink; fridge; cooker and worktop as above. A hob with two rings instead of four will be ok
• kitchens must have four 13-amp electric sockets (plus those needed in non-kitchen areas, for example in bedsits with a kitchen area)
• sinks must have safe to drink cold water and a constant supply of hot water. They must be properly connected to the drainage system
• kitchens must be of a suitable size. They must be located in relation to the individual lettings in the HMO

Washing facilities

Legal requirements

• where all or some of the units in an HMO do not include washing and toilet facilities for the exclusive use of each individual household
• where there are four or less occupiers sharing those facilities there must be at least one bathroom with a fixed bath or shower and a toilet
• where there are five or more occupiers sharing those facilities there must be one separate toilet with wash basin (sink) with splash back for every five sharing occupiers
• at least one bathroom (which may have a toilet) with a fixed bath or shower for every five sharing occupiers
• all baths, showers and sinks must have taps giving an adequate supply of cold and constant hot water
• all bathrooms must be suitably heated and ventilated
• all bathrooms and toilets must be of an adequate size and layout
• all baths, toilets and wash basins (sinks) in an HMO must be fit for the purpose
• all bathrooms and toilets must be near the living accommodation

Our standards

• the character of properties in Guildford mean wash basin (sink) are not normally needed in bedrooms. This may be a licence condition for some layouts (such as where the bathroom is not easily accessible)
• each room containing a toilet must have a wash basin (sink) with constant hot and cold water and a splashback. It must be connected to the foul water drainage system
• baths or showers and toilets should be provided in a ratio of one appliance for every 5 occupants
• the toilet should be in a separate room to the main bathroom. Where this is not possible, we will look at each property on a case by case basis
• a second toilet within a bathroom would be acceptable
• wash basins (sink), showers, and baths must be provided with a constant supply of hot and cold water. They must be properly connected to the drainage system