Overcrowding

[edit] Introduction

According to the Housing Act 1985, a dwelling is overcrowded when the number of persons sleeping in it contravenes the room standard or the space standard.

[edit] Room standard

The room standard is contravened when the number of persons sleeping in a dwelling and the number of rooms available as sleeping accommodation is such that two persons of opposite sexes who are not living together as husband and wife must sleep in the same room. Children under the age of ten shall be left out of account, and a room is available as sleeping accommodation if it is of a type normally used in the locality either as a bedroom or as a living room.

[edit] Space standard

The space standard is contravened when the number of persons sleeping in a dwelling is in excess of the permitted number, having regard to the number and floor area of the rooms of the dwelling available as sleeping accommodation.

The permitted number of persons in relation to a dwelling is whichever is the less of:

• The number specified in Table I in relation to the number of rooms in the dwelling available as sleeping accommodation, and
• The aggregate for all such rooms in the dwelling of the numbers specified in column 2 of Table II in relation to each room of the floor area specified in column 1

Table I

Table II

No account shall be taken for the purposes of either Table of a room having a floor area of less than 50 sq. ft.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Building regulations.
• Code for sustainable homes.
• Decent homes standard.
• Densification.
• Draft housing standards.
• Draft London Housing Strategy (blog November 2013).
• GLA Housing Design SPG.
• Housing Standards Review.
• Laying the foundations: a housing strategy for England.
• Micro flats.
• Minimum room size.
• Minimum space standards.
• NHBC technical standards.
• Technical housing standards – nationally described space standard.