Government announce new room size guidence

Do the minimum room size regulations apply to small unlicensed HMOs (3 or 4 unrelated tenants)?
I currently have 2 rooms that have floor areas greater than 6.51m2 but have sloping ceilings so are now considered to be smaller.
One is in a licensed 5 person student HMO and the other in a 4 person student house that doesn't require a licence.

The way I have read the guidelines it appears I will need to somehow enlarge the room in the 5 person house or stop letting it when the current licence expires. I'm not so clear on the 4 bedroom house. Do the new room sizes apply to it or not? If so what are the timeframes?

Nanny State knows best. A reduction in available rooms is just what tenants need. It's better to be given notice than live in a room that's too small. Then the ex tenant could end up on the street or go to a night shelter and sleep in a small room. Thank goodness the Government's made provision.

The Act states the "minimum" room size. For HMO's your Local Housing Authority can insist on larger rooms within their own licensing standard. Each LHA could have a different view with regard to whether skirting boards or fitted wardrobes are, or are not, included in the measurement. So always check the LHA HMO standard. If you disagree with the LHA standard you can appeal through the rent tribunal process where the LHA would have to justify their stance.

I have a small room in one property which is about 6.2 metres. I never have any problem in renting it out. Surely it is up to a tenant to decide whether the room is big enough for their needs.? The current tenant has been there for 3 or 4 years, his rent is 370 per month including bills and council tax. It should now be about 430, but he is a good tenant. It enables tenants on low wages to have a decent place to live whilst possibly saving up for deposit. It is nonsense. One of my other tenants has been in his room for 4 years ( again at a low rent as I have never put it up since he has been there- he has saved up enough money for a deposit on a flat). So to adhere to standards, I will have to move a wall over to get the extra .4 metre in the small room. Otherwise I Will put a lock on the door and close it off.

Under October 1st reg my local authority is saying that 6.51sq mtr is too small with a 10m sq minimum for a hmo without a living room.

Reply to the comment left by David Atkins at 26/12/2018 - 10:31
You can challenge this with rent tribunal. Circa £100.

Reply to the comment left by Rob Crawford at 26/12/2018 - 13:11
Hi Rob, thank you for your comment. How would I go about doing this?

Shelter go on about Section 21 causing homelessness, but it is councils with ever increasing properties falling under the licenses, which then leads to less rooms available at a cheaper rent. You could not make it up.
I have a situation where I have a bedroom house with the smallest bedroom falling just into the government guideline but the local council has increased that size so now it is too small. There is a very large lounge for all 3 tenants. So if I carry on renting and get a licence, I cannot use Bedroom 3, so the house becomes a two bed only in which case I don't need a licence, so what should I do?

Reply to the comment left by Marie at 08/08/2019 - 08:50Hi Marie, where councils impose restrictions beyond legislation they can be contested via a First Tier Tribunal (Property). This relatively cheap process will question whether the council is justified in making these demands. Where evictions may result due to the councils additional demands, I think you would be in a strong position.