Forum spotlight: What kitchen appliances do I need to provide?

Our members-only forum is the ideal place to share experiences with other landlords and seek advice.

In our forum spotlight this month, we look at a recent question a landlord posted on our forum in relation to minimum amenity standards - that is, what facilities they should be providing for their tenant.

A landlord friend had suggested to our landlord that for kitchens, they needed to provide a minimum of:

  • cooker (four ring)
  • fridge / freezer,
  • microwave

They took to our forum to ask for some clarification.

The responses on our forum

The first person to respond to the thread said it would depend on the type of rental property, because if the property is a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO), every council provides a minimum acceptable criteria for HMOs, including room sizes, number of toilets and cooking/washing/kitchen-storage etc.

There is some variation, so its wise for the landlord to check the specific council website regarding their HMO amenity criteria.

The next person echoed this, and said it would depend on the type of tenancy in question and whether the property is furnished or unfurnished.

An adviser from our landlord advice team then joined in on the thread. They pointed out that for HMOs, the NRLA also provides guidance around the minimum amenity standards, which the member may find useful to read.

The guide gives general information on this topic, but landlords should also still double check the specific requirements needed for the property with the local authority in question when it comes to amenities. 

Our adviser said that the landlord is not legally required to provide appliances for any other tenancy type, however it is recommend to do this, because this can make the property more attractive when marketing it for let.

The landlord would also be responsible for ensuring the appliances have been connected correctly.