Houses in multiple occupation are important residential settings across the UK and can include bed-sits, serviced apartments as well as house shares. These generally involve 3 or more tenants that share general communal areas including bathrooms, living rooms and kitchens. For effective electricals in these settings, you should consider a number of different electrical solutions. So what are the electrical necessities for any HMO? Well, here at Walker Electrical we are Preston’s leading electrical experts. And we work across the region to provide residential, commercial and industrial electrical solutions. This includes working with landlords for student accommodation, residential homes, and shared accommodation. As a result, we have produced this guide to the important electrical aspects in HMOs.
What are the important electrical necessities for any HMO?
There are several important electrical necessities for safety, security and practicality. These include:
- External CCTV- to keep your property safe, and all the tenants safe, external CCTV should be fitted to entrances and exits. This can act as a deterrent and prevent potential crime. But it can also help to catch criminals in the act too.
- Exterior lighting- an exterior door light can help your tenants find their way into the property, at all times of the night, without waking up the entire household. This light can also deter criminals, in combination with the CCTV. So its a win/win.
- Additional sockets- with individual bedsits or flats inside the one building, you should consider installing additional sockets in the bedrooms, or private areas, as well as the shared areas. This means that there will be less reliance on extension cords, and your property and tenants will be safer as a consequence.
- Motion sensitive lighting in shared area- for shared spaces like hallways, kitchens and stairs, motion sensitive lighting can be an effective addition. This is because the lights will only be active when the space is in use, and the rest of the time they will be switched off. So you can save hundreds on your energy bills.
For all your electrical solutions, get in touch with the team today, here at Walker Electrical.