England
- 6.51 m²: one person aged 10 or over.
- 10.22 m²: two people aged 10 or over.
- 4.64 m²: one child under 10. Rooms under 4.64 m² cannot be used for sleeping.
- Floor under a ceiling lower than 1.5 m does not count.
- Many councils set larger sizes, especially where there is no shared living room.
Wales
England’s national sizes do not apply. Each council sets its own room and amenity standards.
Scotland
Councils set standards. East Lothian, for example, uses 6.5 m² for a single room where there is a shared lounge and kitchen, 10 m² where there is not, and 13 m² for a room with a cooker.
Northern Ireland
Space standards come from the HMO (Living Accommodation Standard) Regulations (NI) 2019 and licence conditions.
How to measure
Measure the floor area of the bedroom only, excluding any ensuite, and exclude areas where the ceiling is lower than 1.5 m. Built-in wardrobes can reduce usable area, so check after fit-out.
Questions
Does an ensuite count towards the bedroom size?
No. The ensuite is normally excluded, so the remaining room must meet the standard.
What happens if a room is too small?
In a licensed HMO in England, a room under 6.51 m² can only be slept in by a child under 10 (if it is at least 4.64 m²), and a room under 4.64 m² cannot be slept in at all. Councils can allow up to 18 months to put a breach right. Layout changes, such as merging rooms, can fix it.
Do loft rooms count?
Only the floor with at least 1.5 m of headroom counts in England.
Checked 31 October 2026. General information for landlords planning works, not legal advice. Check the council’s pages for the exact address.