Peterborough HMO Room Sizes and Amenity Standards

Statutory Minimum Bedroom Sizes

Every HMO licence in Peterborough enforces mandatory minimum room sizes for sleeping accommodation, set nationally under Schedule 4 of the Housing Act 2004 and The Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018:

• Single room (occupant aged 10+): 6.51 m²
• Double room (two occupants aged 10+): 10.22 m²
• Child's room (one occupant under 10): 4.64 m²

Any part of a room where the ceiling height is below 1.5 metres cannot be counted toward the minimum floor area. This matters for attic conversions, rooms under sloped roofs, and properties with dormer windows — the usable floor area may be significantly smaller than the total room footprint.

How Communal Space Changes the Rules

Peterborough City Council applies stricter bedroom size thresholds where no communal living space is provided. If your HMO doesn't have a separate lounge or communal sitting room, bedrooms must be larger because tenants effectively live in their rooms:

• Single bedroom with communal lounge available: 6.51 m²
• Single bedroom without communal lounge: 10.00 m²

This is one of the most common reasons for application rejections. Landlords submit floor plans showing bedrooms that clear the 6.51 m² threshold, but the property doesn't have a communal lounge — so the actual requirement is 10.00 m² per single room. Getting this wrong can mean forfeiting your non-refundable Part A application fee.

Kitchen Standards

For HMOs with up to 5 occupants, the kitchen must contain:

• At least 1 full oven and hob
• 1 sink with draining board and hot and cold water
• A fridge-freezer of suitable capacity for the number of occupants
• Adequate dry food storage cupboards

Where occupancy exceeds 5, additional cooking and washing facilities must be provided at prescribed ratios. The exact ratios depend on how many people share the kitchen — larger HMOs may need a second oven/hob set or additional sinks.

Bathroom Standards

The minimum ratio is 1 bathroom (with WC and wash hand basin) for every 5 occupants. A 6-person HMO needs at least 2 bathrooms. En-suite facilities count toward the ratio if they contain a WC and basin.

Floor Plan Requirements

Additional and mandatory HMO applications require a floor plan with room dimensions measured in square metres. The plan should show:

• Every room in the property with its measured usable floor area
• Room designations (bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, communal living space)
• Location of shared facilities
• Any areas where ceiling height falls below 1.5 metres

Selective licensing applications don't always require a floor plan — but if the property is a multi-let unit, one will be requested.

What Happens During Inspection

For the Additional HMO scheme, Home Safe runs two inspection programmes during the scheme term. Inspectors measure rooms and check them against the declared dimensions on your application. If a bedroom falls short of the minimum for its declared occupancy, they'll issue a binding compliance schedule with a deadline (typically 14 to 28 days) to reduce occupancy or demonstrate the room meets the threshold.

Severe hazards — exposed wiring, gas leaks — trigger immediate referral to the Council's Housing Standards officers.

Getting Your Measurements Right First Time

Measure from wall to wall at floor level, excluding the area under any built-in wardrobes that aren't removable, and deducting any floor space under ceilings below 1.5 metres. If a bedroom is close to the threshold, measure twice and document the measurement method. The Peterborough Landlord Licensing Guide includes a room measurement worksheet and the complete amenity standard tables for all three licensing schemes.

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