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MANDATORY LICENSING OF HOUSES IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION: GUIDANCE FOR LICENSING AUTHORITIES

ANNEX C

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR BENCHMARK STANDARDS (SECTION 3-3)

P1 - SPACE AND LAYOUT

Bedrooms where common living room available

Family room

(2 adults + children under 10) 10.5 sq. metres + 4.5 sq. metres per child

Bedrooms where no communal living area available

Family Room

Bedroom with cooker

(In normal circumstances children would not be accommodated in bedrooms with cookers. If, exceptionally, they are, appropriate measures must be taken to ensure their safety.)

Communal Living Room

Activity Spaces for bedrooms

Notes:
1. An activity space is measured at floor level.
2. The shaded area of an activity space may overlap only the shaded area of another activity space.

P2 KITCHENS

Activity Space for Cookers

Note
An activity space is measured at floor level.

P4 SPACE HEATING

P4-1 Solid fuel

A solid fuel appliance should have a permanent supply of air either direct to the open air or to an adjoining space (including a sub-floor space) that is itself permanently ventilated direct to the open air. Air supply provided as follows will satisfy the requirement -

i. Traditional open flued fire: 50% of the cross-sectional area of the throat or the flue as appropriate; or

ii. any other solid fuel appliance: a permanent air entry opening or openings with a total free area of 550 mm2 for each kW of combustion appliance rated output over 5 kW.

Annual inspection/cleaning of chimneys/flues should be carried out and a certificate provided stating that the system is functioning properly.

P4-2 Oil fired

An oil-fired appliance, other than a room-sealed appliance, should have a permanent supply of air for combustion either direct to the open air or to an adjoining space (including a sub-floor space) which is itself permanently ventilated direct to the open air. Compliance with Section 4 of BS 5410: Part 1: 1997 will satisfy this requirement.

An oil-fired appliance installed in a confined space should have a permanent supply of air for cooling in addition to air for combustion, either direct to the open air or to an adjoining space (including a sub-floor space). Compliance with Clause 4.4.3 of BS 5410: Part 1: 1997 will satisfy this requirement.

P4-3 Gas fired

A gas-fired appliance should have an adequate supply of air for combustion. Compliance with the following British Standards will satisfy this requirement -

i. for a decorative fuel-effect gas appliance, BS 5871: Part 3: 1991;

ii. for an inset live fuel-effect gas appliance, BS 5871: Part 2: 1991;

iii. for any other gas-fired appliance, BS 5440: Part 2: 1989.

A gas-fired appliance installed in a confined space should have an adequate supply of air for cooling in addition to air for combustion. Compliance with BS 5440: Part 2: 1989 will satisfy this requirement.

Annual certification that installed gas systems have been examined by a qualified person (CORGI registered), that they are functioning properly and ventilation is adequate should be provided.

P4-4 Extract fans

Where an extract fan is fitted in the same room (or in an adjoining room) as an open-flued combustion appliance a spillage test should be carried out to ensure the combustion appliance is operating safely. Testing to the following guidance will satisfy this requirement -

i. for a solid fuel appliance, BRE Information Paper IP 7/94;

(NOTE: An extract fan should not be fitted in the same room as an open-flued solid fuel appliance.)

ii. for an oil-fired appliance, Clause 4.4.7 of BS 5410: Part 1: 1997 and OFTEC Technical Information Note TI/112; and

iii. for a gas-fired appliance, Clause 4.3.2.3 of BS 5440: Part 1: 1990.

P6 Fire safety

The provision of fire precautions in an HMO should be based on a risk assessment carried out by or on behalf of the applicant, and reviewed by the relevant officers inspecting the property. The following benchmark standards should not be seen as either a maximum or a minimum, but are intended to provide a reference point for an "average" HMO. They should be applied flexibly, taking into account the physical features of the property and the type of occupants in each case. Officers should always give consideration to alternative approaches, where these can provide an equivalent level of safety.

P6-1 Detection and giving warning in case of fire.

P6-1.1 More than 6 residents

An HMO with more than six residents should be provided with a suitable fire detection and alarm system complying with BS 5839: Part 1: 2002 Category L2.

P6-1.2 Up to 6 residents

An HMO with up to six residents should be provided with either a suitable fire detection and alarm system complying with BS 5839: Part 6: 1995, Grade D, Type LD3. Alternatively, a system as set out below may be used:

A. A smoke alarm should be located -

i. in a circulation area which will be used as a route along which to escape, within 7 m of the door to a living room or kitchen and within 3 m of the door to a bedroom, the dimensions to be measured horizontally;

ii. where the circulation area is more than 15 m long, within 15 m of another smoke alarm on the same storey;

iii. if designed for ceiling mounting, at least 300 mm away from any wall or light fitting, or if designed for wall mounting, not less than 150 mm and not more than 300 mm below the ceiling;

iv. not less than 300 mm away from, and not directly above, a heater or air conditioning outlet; and

v. on a surface which is normally at the ambient temperature of the rest of the room or circulation area in which the smoke alarm is situated.

B. Where more than one smoke alarm is installed they should be interconnected so that detection of a fire by any one of them operates the alarm signal in all of them.

C. A smoke alarm should be permanently wired to a circuit. The mains supply to the smoke alarm should take the form of either -

i. an independent circuit at the HMO's main distribution board, in which case no other electrical equipment should be connected to this circuit (other than a dedicated monitoring device installed to indicate failure of the mains supply to the smoke alarms); or

ii. a separately electrically protected, regularly used local lighting circuit.

Note: If smoke alarms are of a type that may be interconnected, all smoke alarms should be connected on a single final circuit.

D. The standby power supply for the smoke alarm may take the form of a primary battery, a secondary battery or a capacitor. The capacity of the standby supply should be sufficient to power the smoke alarm when the mains power supply is off for at least 72 hours while giving an audible warning of mains power supply being off. There should remain sufficient capacity to provide a warning of smoke for a further 4 minutes.

An audible warning should be given at least once every minute if the capacity of the standby power supply falls below that required to satisfy the recommended standby duration when the mains power supply is on; or persist for at least 15 days when the mains power supply is off.

P6-2 Means of escape

P6-2.1 Emergency escape windows

A suitably designed and located emergency escape window situated in an external wall or roof should be provided in every bedroom or living room in an upper storey at a height of not more than 4.5m above ground level. This can be achieved by a window, or a door (French window) having an unobstructed openable area that is at least 0.33m ² and at least 450 mm high and 450 mm wide (the route through the window may be at an angle rather than straight through). The bottom of the openable area should not be more than 1100 mm above the floor.

Any lock fitted to an emergency escape window must be capable of being opened from the inside without recourse to a key.

P6-2.2 External escape routes

Where the escape from an HMO involves an external stair, balcony or flat roof, it should not be threatened by fire or smoke issuing from any door, window or ventilator in the proximity of the escape route.

P6-2.3 Fire doors

A fire door in an HMO should be self-closing. It may well be that existing solid timber doors, if well fitting, will provide the equivalent of 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity).

P6-2.4 Means of escape from HMOs which are not flats or maisonettes

In an HMO which is not a flat or maisonette and which has a storey at a height over 4.5m:

i. every stair should be enclosed in fire resisting construction having 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity and insulation) and any door in the enclosures should be a fire door with 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity),

except -

a stair in an HMO with a storey at a height exceeding 4.5 m by one storey which does not contain a living room, bedroom, or kitchen;

and

ii. every storey at a height of more than 7.5 m should be provided with an exit through a door other than its main entrance.

P6-2.5 Means of escape from HMOs which are flats or maisonettes with no more than 2 storeys

A. An HMO which is a flat or maisonette with a storey at a height of more than 4.5 m should be planned so that either:

i. it is provided with an exit through a door other than its main entrance; or

ii. all living rooms and bedrooms are entered directly from a circulation space enclosed in fire resisting construction having 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity and insulation) and any door in the enclosures should be a fire door with 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity), and the distance to be travelled from any door of any living room or bedroom to the exit is not more than 9 m; or

iii. the distance to be travelled from any point within the HMO to the exit is not more than 9 m and the direction of travel is away from cooking facilities; or

iv. sleeping accommodation, and that part of the circulation area which serves the sleeping accommodation and the exit to the flat, is separated from any other living room or kitchen by a construction providing at least 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity and insulation); and

(a) any door in this construction is a fire door with 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity), and

(b) if that HMO has a storey at a height of more than 11 m and the distance to be travelled within the flat from any point to the exit is more than 15 m, there is an exit through a door, other than its main entrance, from the living accommodation.

B Where an HMO is within a building and only has a single escape route which relies upon a common stair, then there should be a lobby enclosed by walls having 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity and insulation) within the HMO which protects access to that escape route, if:

i. there are more than 10 residents, or

ii. there are more than 6 residents and any storey in the building is at a height of over 7.5m, or

iii. there are 6 or less residents and:

(a) any storey in the building is at a height of over 11m; or

(b) there are more than four dwellings or HMOs on any storey.

Doors in the wall should be fire doors and have 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity). A lobby is not required on the top storey of a building. [The lobby may be the same as the circulation space required to be enclosed under paragraph A.ii above.]

C. A wall with an adequate degree of fire resistance should be provided between the HMO and any other part of the same building. An adequate degree of fire safety is:

i. 30 minutes (integrity and insulation) in buildings with no storey over 7.5m above ground; and

ii. 60 minutes (integrity and insulation) in buildings with any storey over 7.5m above ground.

Doors in the wall should be fire doors and have an adequate degree of fire safety (integrity only). [If a circulation space enclosed with fire resisting construction is required, and a lobby is provided with the fire safety required under paragraph A.ii above or a lobby with fire resistance is provided under paragraph B above, then the fire doors need not have more than 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity).]

D. A floor between the HMO and any other part of the same building should have any holes or gaps adequately fire-stopped.

E. Where the escape route from the front door of the HMO is within the building it should lead by way of circulation space or stairway directly to the outside.

F Any part of an escape route from the front door of the HMO which is within the building should be provided with artificial lighting.

P6-2.6 Means of escape from HMOs which are flats or maisonettes with two or more storeys, of which one is at a height of more than 4.5 m

Where the maisonette or flat has two or more storeys, of which one is at a height of more than 4.5m, additional precautions should be taken as follows:

A. If there is accommodation on more than one level it should be planned so that -

i. all living rooms or bedrooms are entered directly from a circulation space enclosed in fire resisting construction having 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity and insulation) and any door in the enclosures should be a fire door with 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity); and

ii. where any storey is at a height of more than 11 m there is -

a. an exit through a door other than its main entrance from each storey other than the entrance storey, or

b. an exit through a door other than its main entrance from each bedroom.

B. If there is accommodation on only one level, but the HMO is entered from a storey below the level of the accommodation it should be planned so that -

i. an exit through a door other than its main entrance is provided; or

ii. all living rooms or bedrooms are entered directly from a circulation space enclosed in fire resisting construction having 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity and insulation) and any door in the enclosures should be a fire door with 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity) and the distance to be travelled from any door of a living room or bedroom to the head of the internal stair is not more than 9m; or

iii. the distance to be travelled from any point within the HMO to the head of the internal stair is not more than 9 m, and the direction of travel is away from cooking facilities.

C. If there is accommodation on only one level, but the HMO is entered from a storey above the level of the accommodation it should be planned so that an exit through a door other than its main entrance is provided from the lower storey.

P6-2.7 Means of escape from HMOs which are in basements

A. A basement HMO, or an HMO with a basement storey, which contains a bedroom or living room should be provided with an exit through a door other than its main entrance. This alternative exit may provide access to a space below the adjoining ground from which there is access to ground level.

B. A stair within the HMO serving the basement storey should be enclosed in fire resisting construction having 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity and insulation). Such a fire resisting enclosure serving a basement storey should be separate from any fire resisting enclosure protecting a stair serving the remainder of the HMO. Any door in such fire resisting enclosures should be a fire door with 30 minutes fire resistance (integrity).

In this context a basement storey is one which is below the lowest storey in which there is an entrance from the level of the adjoining ground.

P6-3 Internal linings

In an HMO all circulation areas and all kitchens should have walls and ceilings which are no worse than Class 1 for the surface spread of flame as set out in BS 476: Part 7: 1987.

P6-4 Emergency lighting

In any HMO with two or more storeys and more than six people, the escape routes within the HMO should be provided with adequate emergency lighting.

P6-5 Fire-fighting equipment

The most useful form of fire-fighting equipment for general fire risks is the water-type extinguisher. One such extinguisher should be provided for approximately each 200 square metres of floor-space, with a minimum of one per floor. Extinguishers should normally be located in conspicuous positions on escape routes preferably near exit doors.

The local fire authority can advise on areas of special risk which may need carbon dioxide, dry powder or other types of extinguisher. In any case a light duty fire blanket should be provided in each communal cooking area.

P6-6 Ducted warm air heating

If an HMO has a storey at a height of more than 4.5 m or has a basement storey and is provided with a system of ducted warm air heating it should be designed to reduce the risk of fire and smoke spread as follows:

i. transfer grilles are not fitted between any room and the entrance hall or stair;

ii. supply and return grilles are not more than 450 mm above floor level;

iii. if warm air is ducted to an entrance hall or stair, the return air is ducted back to the heater;

iv. if a duct passes through any wall, floor, or ceiling of an entrance hall or stair, all joints between the duct and the surrounding construction are sealed;

v. there is a room thermostat in the living room, at a height between 1370 mm and 1830 mm, with a maximum setting of 35o C, which turns off the heater and any circulation fan if the ambient temperature exceeds that setting; and

vi. if the system recirculates air, smoke detectors are provided in every extract duct to cause the recirculation of air to stop and direct all extract air to the outside of the building in the event of fire.

P6-7 Mechanical ventilation systems

Where a mechanical ventilation system is provided in an HMO with more than six residents the system should be designed to reduce the spread of fire and smoke as follows:

i. the system is of a suitable design and construction; and

ii. it ensures, so far as is practicable, that air movement is directed away from escape routes; and

iii. ducts within the system are of a suitable design and construction; and

iv. where a ventilating duct serving sleeping accommodation penetrates walls between sleeping accommodation, either above or below the ceiling, the duct is adequately protected to ensure that it cannot permit the spread of fire. Any automatic damper or shutter or other sealing device in the duct is activated by smoke.

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