Regulations · 4 min read · Updated 6 November 2026
How many toilets does an office need? UK rules and washroom hygiene
The minimum numbers
The figures below come from the HSE's guidance on the Workplace Regulations. The headcount is the maximum number of people likely to be in the workplace at any one time, not the total on the payroll, which matters for hybrid offices where not everyone is in on the same day.
| People at work at any one time | Toilets | Washbasins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 to 25 | 2 | 2 |
| 26 to 50 | 3 | 3 |
| 51 to 75 | 4 | 4 |
| 76 to 100 | 5 | 5 |
Where toilets are used by men only, a combination of toilets and urinals can be used instead. For example, up to 15 men need one toilet and one urinal, 16 to 30 need two toilets and one urinal, and 31 to 45 need two toilets and two urinals.
What a compliant office washroom must have
- Toilets and washbasins in adequately ventilated and lit rooms
- Hot and cold, or warm, running water at the washbasins
- Soap or another suitable means of cleaning
- Towels or another means of drying, such as a hand dryer
- Separate facilities for men and women, unless each toilet is in a separate room with a door that locks from the inside
- A means of disposing of sanitary products in toilets used by women
- Facilities kept clean and in good working order
In shared buildings, the landlord often provides communal toilets, but the employer still needs to be satisfied there are enough and that they are cleaned and stocked. That is a good reason to check the service charge cleaning schedule if you rely on communal washrooms.
Sanitary and hygiene bins
Sanitary bins are normally provided under a separate service, with a specialist emptying and replacing units every few weeks and handling the waste as offensive hygiene waste. The office cleaner wipes the outside of the units and the surrounding floor but does not empty them. A growing number of workplaces also put sanitary bins in men's toilets for continence products, which is worth considering as part of a fair washroom set-up.
A practical washroom cleaning routine
| Task | Typical frequency |
|---|---|
| Clean and disinfect toilet bowls, seats, urinals and flush handles | Every visit |
| Clean basins, taps and mirrors and wipe splashes | Every visit |
| Clean door handles, locks, light switches and dispensers | Every visit |
| Refill toilet roll, soap and hand towels | Every visit |
| Mop the floor, paying attention around toilet bases | Every visit |
| Clean partitions, walls around urinals and skirting | Weekly |
| Descale toilets, urinals, taps and shower heads | Weekly to monthly, depending on water hardness |
| Clean vents, high-level surfaces and behind fittings | Monthly |
In hard water areas, limescale builds up quickly in urinals and around taps, and once it holds bacteria and odour it is hard to shift with routine cleaning. A regular descale is far cheaper than a deep clean or replacing stained fittings.
Why washrooms fail even when they are cleaned
- Running out of toilet roll, soap or towels between visits
- Cleaning once in the evening when the washroom is heavily used all day
- Cloths and mops used in toilets then used elsewhere
- Urinal odour from blocked traps or limescale rather than poor cleaning
- Too few toilets for the number of people now in the office
If your office is busy, a short midday check to restock and wipe basins often does more for staff satisfaction than a longer evening clean. Colour-coded cloths, with red for toilets and urinals, prevent cross-contamination.
Checking your own provision
It is worth doing a quick check whenever headcount grows, you move floors or you change how the office is used. Offices that have taken on more staff without adding facilities often find queues at peak times, and complaints about cleanliness that are really about too few toilets.
- Count the maximum number of people likely to be in at once, including visitors and contractors on busy days
- Compare that with the HSE numbers for toilets and washbasins
- Check that at least one toilet is accessible if you have disabled staff or visitors
- Check every basin has warm water, soap and a way to dry hands
- Make sure there are sanitary disposal units in toilets used by women
- Note any toilets that are often out of order and get them repaired
Accessible toilets are covered by building regulations and equality duties rather than the Workplace Regulations table, but they need the same cleaning and restocking routine as every other toilet, plus regular checks that the alarm cord hangs freely to the floor and is not tied up out of the way.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need separate male and female toilets in a small office?
Not if each toilet is in its own room with a door that can be locked from the inside. Many small offices have one or two self-contained toilets used by everyone, which meets the rules. Where toilets are in shared rooms with cubicles, separate facilities for men and women are needed.
How often should office toilets be cleaned?
Toilets in an office used every day should be cleaned and restocked on every cleaning visit, which for most offices means daily. Busy offices often add a midday check. The law does not set a frequency, but it does require toilets to be kept clean, and toilets are where poor hygiene is noticed first by staff and visitors.
Who is responsible for toilets in a shared office building?
The landlord or managing agent usually provides and cleans communal toilets under the service charge, while tenants clean any toilets inside their own demise. Employers remain responsible for making sure their staff have suitable facilities, so it is worth checking the building cleaning schedule and raising any problems with the managing agent.
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