What are the minimum room sizes for an HMO?
By Patrick Roper · Last reviewed 2026-06-30
In a licensed HMO in England, a room used for sleeping by one person aged 10 or over must be at least 6.51 square metres, a room for two people aged 10 or over at least 10.22 square metres, and a room for a child under ten at least 4.64 square metres. Rooms under 4.64 square metres cannot be used as sleeping accommodation. Councils set their own amenity standards on top, covering how many bathrooms, toilets and kitchens are needed for the number of occupants.
- One person aged 10+
- At least 6.51 m² · source: HMO Mandatory Conditions Regs 2018
- Two people aged 10+
- At least 10.22 m² · source: HMO Mandatory Conditions Regs 2018
- Child under 10
- At least 4.64 m² · source: HMO Mandatory Conditions Regs 2018
- Too small to sleep in
- Under 4.64 m² · source: HMO Mandatory Conditions Regs 2018
For a mandatory licensed HMO, national rules set the minimum floor area of any room used for sleeping. A room slept in by one person aged over ten must be at least 6.51 square metres, a room for two people over ten must be at least 10.22 square metres, and a room for a child under ten must be at least 4.64 square metres. A room below 4.64 square metres cannot be used to sleep in at all, and floor space where the ceiling is below 1.5 metres does not count towards these figures.
These are the licence conditions a council must include, so a bedroom that falls short can limit how many people the property may be let to, or stop a room counting as a bedroom. It is worth measuring each room before you apply.
On top of the national room sizes, each council sets amenity standards for shared facilities, such as how many bathrooms, toilets and kitchen spaces are needed for a given number of occupants, and these vary from council to council. Your council page shows the local position, and we make sure your application meets both the national room sizes and your council amenity standards before it goes in.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum bedroom size for an HMO?
A room used for sleeping by one person aged 10 or over must be at least 6.51 square metres, and at least 10.22 square metres for two. A room for a child under ten must be at least 4.64 square metres.
Does floor space under a sloping ceiling count?
Floor area where the ceiling height is below 1.5 metres does not count towards the minimum room size for sleeping.
Can a box room be a bedroom in an HMO?
Only if it meets the minimum size. A room under 4.64 square metres cannot be used as sleeping accommodation in a licensed HMO.