The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Wales) Regulations 2006

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations apply to houses in multiple occupation (“HMOs”) in Wales but do not apply to converted blocks of flats to which section 257 of the Housing Act 2004 applies. That section applies to buildings which have been converted into and consist of self-contained flats where the building work undertaken in connection with the conversion did not comply with the appropriate building standards and still does not comply with them, and less than two-thirds of the self-contained flats are owner-occupied.

The Regulations impose duties on a person managing an HMO in respect of—

• providing information to occupiers (regulation 3);

• taking safety measures, including fire safety measures (regulation 4);

• maintaining the water supply and drainage (regulation 5);

• supplying and maintaining gas and electricity, including having it regularly inspected (regulation 6);

• maintaining common parts (defined in regulation 7(6)), fixtures, fittings and appliances (regulation 7);

• maintaining living accommodation (regulation 8); and

• providing waste disposal facilities (regulation 9).

Regulation 10 imposes duties on occupiers of an HMO for the purpose of ensuring that the person managing it can effectively carry out the duties imposed on the manager by these Regulations.

A person who fails to comply with these Regulations commits an offence under section 234(3) of the Housing Act 2004, punishable on summary conviction with a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

A regulatory appraisal of the effect that these Regulations will have is available from the Private Sector Unit, Department for Social Justice and Regeneration, National Assembly for Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ (telephone: [phone]; e-mail [e-mail]).