The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HM) Regulations 2006 apply to all HMOs.

These regulations impose duties on both managers and tenants to ensure that the property is maintained to a good standard.

Manager's duties

The manager must ensure that common parts, fixtures, fittings and appliances are well maintained, in good repair and clean condition. This includes:

• Water, gas and electricity supplies and drainage facilities;
• Appliances such as cookers, heaters and washing machines;
• Shared lighting and heating facilities, including hot water supplies;
• Shared toilets, baths, sinks and basins;
• Shared cooking, food storage and other installations;
• Staircases, handrails, halls and landings, including floor coverings;
• Windows and other means of ventilation;
• Outbuildings, paths, yards and garden areas.

The manager must ensure that the living accommodation is well maintained. Each unit of living accommodation and any furniture supplied must be in a clean condition at the beginning of a tenancy. The internal structure of living accommodation and any fixtures, fittings or appliances supplied within it must be maintained in good repair and clean working order, subject to the tenant behaving in a tenant-like manner.

Safety Measures

The manager must take reasonable safety measures to ensure that:

• tenants are protected from injury;
• any fire escapes are free from obstruction and in good order;
• the fire alarm system and any fire fighting equipment provided are maintained in good order.

Supply and maintenance of gas and electricity

• The supplies of gas or electricity must not be interrupted unless there is good reason;
• The latest Gas Safe appliance test certificate for the HMO must be supplied to the council within seven days of a written request;
• Every fixed electrical installation must be inspected and tested at intervals not exceeding five years by a person that is qualified to undertake such inspection and testing. A certificate specifying the results of the test must be obtained from the qualified person and supplied to the council within seven days of receiving a written request.

Provision of information for tenants

A notice must be displayed in the HMO giving the name, address and telephone number of the manager so that residents have someone to contact.

Waste disposal facilities

An adequate number of bins for refuse disposal must be provided. The manager must make sure that rubbish does not accumulate and should arrange for the disposal of refuse and litter according to the services provided by the council.

Tenants' obligations

Tenants and occupiers should:

• take reasonable care to avoid damage and disrepair;
• cooperate in a reasonable way with the property manager and provide information to allow them to carry out their duties;
• comply with any reasonable arrangements made by the manager regarding means of escape from fire and refuse storage and disposal;
• allow the manager access to bedrooms to carry out their duties when required.