Dwellinghouse definition

See also: Types of dwelling

[edit] Approved document B definition

Approved document B, Fire Safety, Volume 2, Buildings other than dwellinghouses (2019 edition), defines a dwellinghouse as:

'... a unit where one or more people live (whether or not as a sole or main residence) in either of the following situations.

• A single person or people living together as a family.
• A maximum of six people living together as a single household, including where care is provided for residents.'

NB 'Dwellinghouse' does not include a flat or a building containing a flat, whereas 'dwelling' includes a dwellinghouse and a flat.

[edit] Approved document L1A definition

Approved document L1A, Conservation of fuel and power in new dwellings suggests that the word ‘dwelling’ means:

‘...a self-contained unit designed to accommodate a single household.‘

It notes that ‘…buildings exclusively containing rooms for residential purposes, such as nursing homes, student accommodation and similar, are not dwellings’

[edit] Approved document M2 definition

Approved document M, Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings, suggests that the term 'dwelling' means:

'...a house or a flat. However, new blocks of flats built as student accommodation are to be treated as though they are hotel/motel accommodation in respect of space requirements and internal facilities.'

[edit] UK Census definition

The UK Census identifies types of dwelling as; houses, bungalows, flats, maisonettes and bedsits.

The 2001 Census definition of a dwelling is:

'a self-contained unit of accommodation. Self-containment is where all the rooms (including kitchen, bathroom and toilet) in a household’s accommodation are behind a single door which only that household can use. Non-self contained household spaces at the same address should be counted together as a single dwelling. Therefore a dwelling can consist of one self-contained household space or two or more non-self-contained household spaces at the same address.

'Ancillary dwellings (eg former ‘granny annexes’) are included provided they are self-contained, pay separate council tax from the main residence, do not share access with the main residence (eg a shared hallway) and there are no conditional restrictions on occupancy.'

For more information see: Gov.uk, Definitions of general housing terms.

[edit] English Housing Survey

The English Housing Survey Housing Stock Report, 2014-15, prepared by the Department of Communities and Local Government, defines a dwelling as:

'A unit of accommodation which may comprise one or more household spaces (a household space is the accommodation used or available for use by an individual household).'

A dwelling may be classified as shared or unshared. A dwelling is shared if:

• The household spaces it contains are ‘part of a converted or shared house’, or
• Not all of the rooms (including kitchen, bathroom and toilet, if any) are behind a door that only that household can use, and
• There is at least one other such household space at the same address with which it can be combined to form the shared dwelling.

Dwellings that do not meet these conditions are unshared dwellings.

This definition was repeated in the English Housing Survey, Profile and condition of the English housing stock, 2018-19, Published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government in August 2020.

[edit] Permitted development rights

For the purposes of the consultation Permitted development rights for small scale renewable and low carbon energy technologies and electric vehicle charging infrastructure March 2012 a dwellinghouse is 'a house standing on its own land in single occupation. A dwellinghouse can be detached, semi-detached or terraced. A dwellinghouse does not include flats, or buildings which have been converted from a purpose-built dwellinghouse into flats.' The consultation glossary further notes 'referring to the Use Class Order 1987 to define 'domestic premises' is confusing as Class C3 is defined as a 'dwellinghouse'. What is the difference between dwelling house and domestic premises? Needs to be clearer- definition appears to exclude flats. How are flats and apartments addressed? Need a separate element to be included or incorporated into description. Definition of domestic premises and dwelling house imply different controls would be in place for dwellings which are flats - how does the government propose to deal with this? Definition includes semi-detached and terraces - leads to confusion since table 1 refers to detached dwelling houses only.'

[edit] Construction Act

The Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (HGRA - also known as the Construction Act) suggests that “dwelling” means: ‘…a building or part of a building occupied or intended to be occupied as a separate dwelling, together with any yard, garden, outhouses and appurtenances belonging to it or usually enjoyed with it.’

[edit] Types of dwelling construction

The glossary of statistical terms, published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), states: ‘In dwelling construction four types of building activity are distinguished:

1. ‘new construction: the erection of an entirely new structure, whether or not the site on which it was built was previously occupied;
2. ‘restoration: repairs by which at least one dwelling or other structure is effectively reinstated and where substantial parts of the existing structure are used;
3. ‘extension: the enlargement of buildings by which space is added;
4. ‘conversion: structural changes carried out within a building.’

[edit] Welsh Housing Quality Standard 2023

The Welsh Housing Quality Standard 2023, published by the Welsh Government in October 2023, states:

A dwelling is any form of accommodation owned by the landlord and provided in return for rent to residents and which is used for human habitation or intended or available for such use. It includes:

• a “house,” whether it is detached, semi-detached or terraced;
• a “flat,” “maisonette” or “apartment;” that is a self-contained dwelling on one or more floors in a building containing other dwellings; and
• a “bed-sit,” or “flat,” and which is not self-contained. For example, some facilities such as a bath or shower-room, or kitchen may be shared.

Included as part of the dwelling are gardens and outbuildings for use with that dwelling. Gardens should be considered to be any outside space associated with the dwelling plot. In addition rights of way, paths, yards, easements, and common or shared parts and services necessary for the occupation and use of the dwelling, are included unless otherwise stated in the interpretation of an element.

Where the dwelling is a flat, maisonette or bed-sit, as well as including those means of access, amenities and services, the dwelling also includes any rooms, passageways, circulation areas, and facilities that are shared or used in common with others.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Apartment.
• Approved documents.
• Bedroom.
• Bungalow.
• Cottage.
• Curtilage.
• Definition of institution.
• Domestic building.
• Duplex.
• Flat definition.
• Household.
• Housing stock / building stock.
• Manse.
• Original dwellinghouse.
• Original house.
• Penthouse.
• Premises.
• Residential definition.
• Room for residential purposes.
• Sheltered housing definition.
• Shop definition.
• Student bedsits and separate dwellings.
• Terraced house.
• Types of building.
• Types of dwelling.
• Use class.
• Use of railway carriages as holiday homes and permanent housing.
• Workplace definition.