Houses of multiple occupancy

Summary

The requester asked for statistics on registered Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs) and the number of properties known to be non-compliant with fire legislation. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture disclosed the total number of registered HMOs and inspection details but stated it does not hold records on the number of unregistered or non-compliant properties.

Key Facts

• There are 21 registered Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs) on the Isle of Man.
• 19 of the registered HMOs were registered prior to 2023.
• The Department does not operate a proactive inspection program for HMOs.
• The Department does not keep records of how many unregistered HMOs fail to meet fire safety requirements.
• Registration typically requires a letter of conformity from the fire service confirming compliance.

Data Disclosed

• 21
• 19
• 2023
• 2024
• 2025
• 4548357
• 2025-04-01
• 2025-04-17

Exemptions Cited

• Information not held by the public authority

Original Request

Dear Sirs Im aware of a large number of houses of multiple occupancy that do not comply with the current fire legislation. ie not having emergency alarms. emergency lighting and fire extinguishers checked annually as per legal legislation. Naturally the individuals staying in these properties should be protected by the enforcing body which is DEFA. As such please provide how many premises DEFA have as registered HMOS Houses of multiple occupancy and how many were inspected in the years 2023. 2024, 2025. In addition to this how many HMO properties are DEFA aware off that are operating but do not meet fire legislation requirements . I look forward to the response.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator Corporate Services Directorate Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road, St John’s, Isle of Man, IM4 3AS Tel no (01624) 685854 Fax no (01624 685851 Email: defa@gov.im www.gov.im

Our ref: 4548357 17 April 2025

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 1 April 2025, which states:

I’m aware of a large number of houses of multiple occupancy that do not comply with the current fire legislation. i.e. not having emergency alarms. emergency lighting and fire extinguishers checked annually as per legal legislation.

Naturally the individuals staying in these properties should be protected by the enforcing body which is DEFA.

As such please provide how many premises DEFA have as registered HMOS, Houses of multiple occupancy, and how many were inspected in the years 2023. 2024, 2025.

In addition to this how many HMO properties are DEFA aware off that are operating but do not meet fire legislation requirements.

I have detailed below the information being released to you.

Q1 How many premises do DEFA have as registered HMOS, Houses of multiple occupancy, and how many were inspected in the years 2023, 2024 & 2025.

The Department records show that local authorities have registered 21 HMO’s. Of those, 19 were registered prior to 2023. The remaining two were inspected during the years 2023, 2024, 2025 as part of the registration process.

To offer advice and assistance, the Department does not currently operate a proactive inspection program but would respond to complaints about substandard conditions.

Q2 How many HMO properties are DEFA aware of that are operating but do not meet fire legislation requirements.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested.

To offer advice and assistance, DEFA require confirmation from a competent person that a HMO complies with fire safety standards, typically in the form of a letter of conformity from the fire service, before it will recommend registration to a local authority. Therefore, as far as the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture is concerned, all 21 registered HMOs met fire safety standards when they were registered.

The Department are working with the operators of a number of unregistered HMOs to bring them up to standard and register them with the relevant local authority; but we do not keep records of how many of them don’t meet the Department of Home Affairs’ fire safety requirements.

You may wish to submit a further Freedom of Information request to the Department of Home Affairs.

Please quote the reference number 4548357 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on:

1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or
2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.

In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision.

More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im.

Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely