Broadly, houses in multiple occupation (HMO) are houses, hostels, self-contained flats or other buildings that are occupied by persons that do not form a single household, where there is a degree of sharing of facilities, for example for cooking, or where the housing lacks such facilities, or is not self-contained. The legal definition is more complex and provides for the exception of certain buildings from the basic definition.
The risk of death or injury from the outbreak of fire in HMOs is up to ten times higher than with single family occupation. St Edmundsbury Borough Council's Environmental Health team inspects these properties to ensure that they meet an acceptable safety standard and to ensure that they meet reasonable standard for amenities, repair and proper management.
St Edmundsbury Borough Council has signed up to a joint protocol between the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service and the district and borough councils of Suffolk, which sets out the liaison arrangements with the Fire Service and the Fire Precautions Standards to be applied to HMOs.
St Edmundsbury Borough Council has also adopted amenity standards for HMOs which specify the minimum requirements for the provision of toilets, wash hand basins, baths, cooking facilities, and so on, dependent upon the number of occupants or category of HMO.
