Overcrowding in family homes
A house is said to be overcrowded in the following situations.
Sexual Overcrowding: this occurs if it is necessary for a boy and a girl aged 10 years or older to sleep in the same room.
Room Standard: this occurs if any of the limits in the table below are exceeded for the whole dwelling.
| Number of sleeping rooms* | Number of people per room** |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 5 |
| 4 | 7.5 |
| 5 | 10 |
| Above 5 rooms | Allow 2 people per room |
* living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms are all deemed generally suitable as sleeping rooms.
** children over one year and less than 10 years of age should be counted as a half.
Space Standard: this occurs if any of the limits in the table below are exceeded for the whole dwelling.
| Size of room | Number of people per room** |
|---|---|
| 110 square feet or more | 2 |
| 90-110 square feet | 1.5 |
| 70-90 square feet | 1 |
| 50-70 square feet | 0.5 |
** children over one year and less than 10 years of age should be counted as a half.
A room less than 50 square feet is not suitable as a sleeping room.
Infants under one year of age should not be counted.
Further information
If you think your home is overcrowded, contact the Housing Services team to arrange an inspection.
Overcrowding in houses in multiple occupation (HMO)
Overcrowding in HMOs is managed using our Adopted Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation.