Overcrowding in private rented properties

Overcrowding in private rented properties

If you feel your accommodation is too small for your family, you may be considered to be living in overcrowded conditions. This does not mean you are living in cramped conditions but that the property you live in does not have enough bedrooms for the number of people living in the property. This assessment is based on legal guidelines on room standards and space standards:

Your home may be overcrowded if it cannot provide a bedroom for each of the following:

• A couple
• A single adult aged 21 or older
• Two young people of the same sex aged 10-20
• Two children under 10 (but not if there is only one child under ten)

If you are concerned that your private rented property is not adequate for your family, an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) can visit your property and carry out an assessment to check if you are living in overcrowded conditions under the Housing Health & Safety Rating System. If the EHO finds you are overcrowded they may serve notice on your landlord to limit the number of people allowed to live in the property and will refer you to the council's Housing Advice service for information on different housing options.