Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Management Regulations

The manager must ensure that:  

• His name, address and telephone number(s) are made available to each household in the HMO
• Such details are clearly displayed in a prominent position in the HMO.

The manager must ensure that all means of escape from fire in the HMO are:

• Kept free from obstruction
• Maintained in good order and repair

The manager must ensure that any fire-fighting equipment and fire alarms are maintained in good working order.

The manager must ensure that any fire escape notices are displayed in positions that are clearly visible to the occupiers.

The manager must take all reasonable measures to protect the occupiers from injury, having regard to the design, structural conditions and the number of occupiers in the HMO. In particular he must:

• Make safe or prevent access to any unsafe roof or balcony
• Provide bars or other safeguards to any windows with sills at or near floor level.

1. The manager must ensure that the water supply and drainage serving the HMO are maintained in good, clean and working condition. In particular he must ensure that:  

• Any tanks and cisterns provided for storage of water are kept in a good, clean and working condition with a cover to keep the water in a clean and proper condition
• Water fittings are protected from frost damage  

2. The manager must not unreasonably cause or permit the water supply or drainage to be interrupted.

The manager must supply to the local authority the latest Gas Safety Certificate in relation to the testing of any gas appliance by a Gas Safe registered engineer, within 7 days of receiving a written request.

The manager must:  

• Ensure that every fixed electrical installation is inspected and tested by a qualified electrical engineer at not less than 5 year intervals
• Obtain a certificate from that person specifying the results of the test
• Supply that certificate to the local authority within 7 days of receiving a written request.  

The manager must not unreasonably cause the gas or electricity supply to be interrupted.
 

The manager must ensure that all common parts of the HMO are:  

• Maintained in good and clean decorative repair
• Maintained in a safe and working condition
• Kept reasonably free from obstruction.

In particular the manager must ensure that:  

• All handrails and banisters are kept in good repair
• Additional handrails or banisters are provided as necessary for the safety of the occupiers
• Any stair coverings are safely fixed and kept in good repair
• All windows and other means of ventilation within the common parts are kept in good repair
• The common parts are fitted with adequate light fittings that are available for use at all times
• Any fixtures, fittings and appliances used by two or more households within the HMO, other than those belonging to the occupiers, are maintained in good and safe repair and in good working order.

The manager must ensure that:  

• Outbuildings, yards and forecourts used by two or more households are maintained in good order and clean condition
• Any garden belonging to the HMO is kept in a safe and tidy condition
• Boundary walls, fences and railings belonging to the HMO are maintained in good and safe repair so as not to constitute a danger to the occupiers.

The manager must ensure that each unit of living accommodation within the HMO and any furniture supplied with it are in clean condition at the beginning of a person's occupation of it.  

The manager must ensure, in relation to any part of the HMO that is used as living accommodation, that:  

• The internal structure is maintained in good repair
• Any fixtures, fittings and appliances are maintained in good repair and working order
• Every window and other means of ventilation are kept in good repair.

This duty does not apply to any repair required as a result of unreasonable conduct by the occupier and does not apply to furniture, fixtures, fittings and appliances belonging to the occupier.

The manager must:  

• Ensure that sufficient bins are provided to each household occupying the HMO for the storage of refuse pending its disposal
• Make arrangements for the disposal of refuse and litter not ordinarily collected by the local authority.

It is the duty of all residents of the property to ensure that the manager can effectively carry out his duties. All residents must:

• take care not to hinder in any way the manager in the performance of his duties
• allow the manager access, at all reasonable times, to any part of the accommodation so that he can carry out his duties
• provide the manager on request with any relevant information
• take reasonable care to avoid damaging anything which the manager is under obligation to keep in good repair
• comply with the arrangements made by the manager in respect of litter storage and disposal
• comply with the instructions of the manager in respect of any means of escape from fire, prevention of fire and the use of fire equipment.