When you apply for a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence, your local council requires a detailed, scaled floor plan. This plan acts as a complete map of your property’s layout, room sizes, and safety equipment.

At 360 Virtual View, we create precise, compliant floor plans for landlords across Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster, and Chesterfield. This helps you avoid licensing delays.

What Your HMO Floor Plan Must Show

Structural Details and Windows

You need to mark all windows and escape routes. For attic bedrooms or rooms with sloped ceilings, clearly label the Velux windows. You must also demarcate any floor area where the ceiling height drops below 1.5 metres.Councils exclude this area from the usable room size calculation.

Fire and Safety Systems

Fire safety is critical for HMO approval. Your plan must pinpoint the exact location of:

• Fire doors (typically FD30) on bedrooms, kitchens, and escape routes.
• Interlinked smoke detectors in hallways, landings, and bedrooms.
• Heat detectors in the kitchen.
• Carbon monoxide alarms near boilers or gas hobs.
• Fire blankets and extinguishers.
• Emergency lighting and break-glass call points.

Room Sizes and Occupancy

Your floor plan must label every room, such as Bedroom 1, Kitchen, or Shared Lounge.You need to state the length, width, and total usable floor area in square metres for all bedrooms and communal spaces.You must also list the maximum permitted occupancy for each bedroom.National law sets strict minimums: a single bedroom must be at least 6.51 square metres, and a double must be at least 10.22 square metres.Any room under 4.64 square metres cannot count as a room for licensing purposes.

Amenities

Mark the position of all fixed kitchen and bathroom facilities.This includes the cooker, sink, fridge, showers, baths, toilets, and hand basins.

Regional Rules

Mandatory HMO licensing applies across England.Any property housing five or more people from two or more households sharing facilities needs a licence. However, local councils enforce their own specific planning and licensing rules.

• Sheffield:The council expects professional, scaled drawings, typically 1:50 or 1:100.These must detail room usage, fire detection positions, and clear escape routes.
• Barnsley:Barnsley Council enforces a borough-wide Article 4 direction.This removes your automatic right to convert a standard family home into a small HMO.You need full planning permission alongside your HMO licence, and your floor plans must support both applications.
• Rotherham, Doncaster, and Chesterfield:These councils rely on the national mandatory licensing scheme.They require accurate floor plans showing room sizes, fire detection systems, and kitchen facilities.

Inaccurate measurements are the most common reason councils delay or refuse licences. It’s essential to get this right. We use laser technology to map your property precisely, ensuring your floor plans meet the exact standards required by your local housing authority.