Overcrowding

The standards described in the 1985 Housing Act determines overcrowding. The Housiong Act standard has changed very little since the 1957 Housing Act.

Many people who feel they are living in overcrowded conditions find they are not legally overcrowded even if they are living in very cramped conditions.

Rooms used in calculating the standard

The standard as explained below is used to measure overcrowding. This includes all habitable rooms such as:

• bedroom
• living room
• dining room (or the dining part of a dining kitchen)
• study

It does not include non-habitable rooms such as:

• bathroom
• kitchen
• hallway
• any room or part of a room with a ceiling less than 5 feet high (1.52m) such as an attic

The amount of space in each room

You need to calculate the square footage or meterage of your rooms to determine whether you have enough sleeping space for each person.

The following applyto calculations:

• Children under 1 are ignored
• Children aged between 1 and 10 count as half a person
• Children over 10 are counted as 1 person
• If two people of the opposite sex have to sleep in the same room they will be overcrowed unless they are
  • a couple
  • at lease one occupant is under 10

Generally, the following number of people can sleep in a room:

• 1 room = 2 people
• 2 rooms = 3 people
• 3 rooms = 5 people
• 4 rooms = 7.5 people
• 5 or more rooms = 2 people for each room

The floor area also determines how many people can sleep in it:

• 110 square feet (10.2 square metres) = 2 people
• 90 - 109 square feet (8.4 - 10.2 square metres) = 1.5 people
• 10 - 89 square feet (6.5 - 8.4 square metres) = 1 person
• 50 - 69 square feet (4.6 - 6.5 square meteres) = 0.5 person

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) gives more help to local authorities to assess whether a property is overcrowded or not. This act was introduced in April 2006.

What to do next

If, after reading this information, you feel you are overcrowded in your present home and want to move because of this, please contact the HomeLink team who will explain what to do next.