Definition of a Common Area in HMOs

[Midland Retty]

I'd welcome you opinions on what constitutes "common areas" in a HMO

Take a typical terraced house which is rented out to say 5 individual people - they aren't friends, so it's not a shared house scenario but it is a HMO.

The question is this: does that premises have common areas subject to the RR(FS)O?

[Mushy]

shared kitchen/communal lounge?

[nearlythere]

I'd welcome you opinions on what constitutes "common areas" in a HMO

Take a typical terraced house which is rented out to say 5 individual people - they aren't friends, so it's not a shared house scenario but it is a HMO.

The question is this: does that premises have common areas subject to the RR(FS)O?

Common areas are those where access is not normally restricted to a single occupancy, where more than one occupancy has a right to enjoy the use of certain facilities. This makes them shared. These could be a kitchen, wc, stairways and landings, rear yard etc.

[Midland Retty]

I would agree with you both however several people I have dealt with argue that they do not consitute common areas because it is essentially just a domestic dwelling. I.e. its not like the common areas you find in other types of HMOs or blocks of flats such as circulation staircases or corridors accessing entrance doors to flats or staircases....

[jokar]

In the initial bits about the RR(FS)O shared parts of accommodation were to be included as common parts as they were to be used in common by all parties.  So in student accommodation, the onlt domestic bit would have been their own lockable rooms.  The new LACORS guide changes this.