Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce a national minimum space standard for housing, especially in the private rented sector.

All dwellings in England, including those in the Private Rented Sector, are subject to the overcrowding standards in Part X of the Housing Act 1985. In particular, section 326 provides minimum space standards for bedrooms.

As part of the reforms to houses in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing, the Government also proposes to make minimum sleeping room standards a mandatory condition of HMO licences. This will make it easier for local authorities to deal with overcrowding in HMOs. We intend to introduce this shortly, subject to parliamentary approval.