The crew won't fit in one flat: should we split them across two?

28 of 207of our crew stays were in a property with five or more bedrooms

104 of 141of our crew stays gave every worker their own bedroom

10 of 158of our crew bookings ran across two to four flats at the same time

15 m²per resident on new Dutch worker housing locations from 1 October 2026

The crew is eight people for six months. The obvious brief is one big house: one address, one set of keys, everyone together. Then the search starts and the big houses are either gone, too far from site, or the owner goes quiet when they hear "eight workers".

Our argument: for any crew of five or more, plan for two or three ordinary flats close together from the start, and treat the one big house as a bonus if it turns up. The single house looks simpler on paper. In practice it is the harder thing to find, the more likely to break a rule, and the one that hurts most when it falls through.

Why is one big house so hard to find?

Because the stock is not there. In our booking data, only 28 of 207 crew stays were in properties with five or more bedrooms. The bulk sat in one and two bedroom flats (104 stays) and three and four bedroom homes (75). Big houses exist, but they are the first thing every contractor in town asks for, and they are often family homes whose owners prefer one family.

The crew also expects a room each. In 104 of the 141 stays where we hold both the headcount and the number of bedrooms, every worker had their own bedroom. Only 13 had more than two people per bedroom. So a crew of eight needs eight bedrooms, and that usually means two four bedroom flats rather than one eight bedroom house.

Does packing more workers into one house break any rules?

It can, and the rules are getting tighter. In England, a property is a large house in multiple occupation needing a licence when it is rented to five or more people forming more than one household, who share a kitchen or bathroom, and at least one pays rent or has it paid by their employer. Councils can add their own licensing on top. We covered the detail in worker accommodation standards in the UK.

In the Netherlands, the SNF standard used for labour migrant housing changed on 1 October 2026. New locations, and all locations of newly registered companies, need at least 15 m² of living space per resident, and a bedroom may in principle be used by one person only, two if the residents themselves want to share. In Germany, the technical rule for workers' accommodation (ASR A4.4) sets at least 8 m² of usable space per resident for up to six people in a sleeping area, a bed and lockable cupboard each, and no more than two beds stacked. Lower Saxony goes further for workers' housing: at least 10 m² of living space per person, and the municipality can order an overcrowded property to be cleared.

What about the neighbours?

This is where big crew houses usually fail. On 19 October, Die Rheinpfalz reported that so-called Monteurwohnungen in Wörth am Rhein regularly draw complaints from neighbours about noise, rubbish and full car parks, and the town is looking to the district for help. Eight workers, four vans and a 5:30 start on one door is visible. Split across two doors, the same crew barely registers. Parking alone is reason enough, as we set out in where will the crew park the vans.

Isn't a split crew harder to run?

Only if each flat is booked as a separate job. In our data, 10 of 158 crew bookings ended up in two to four flats at the same time, 37 stays in total. The ones that run well share three things: the flats are within walking distance of each other, they sit under one booking reference with one contact, and they are invoiced together so accounts sees one line per period, not four invoices from four owners.

A split also solves problems a single house creates. Day and night shifts can sleep in different flats, which matters more than most bookers expect (see day shift and night shift in the same flat). And if one owner pulls out, half the crew moves, not all of it.

One house or several flats: how do they compare?

	One big house for the whole crew	Two or three flats close together
Finding it	Rare: few homes have five or more bedrooms, and they go first	Far more stock at three and four bedrooms
Rules	England: five or more people from more than one household can make it a licensable large HMO. Germany and the Netherlands set space per person	Smaller households, usually under the thresholds
Neighbours	Several vans and early starts on one door draw complaints	Spread across two doors, less visible
Sleep and shifts	One kitchen and one bathroom queue for everyone	Day and night shifts can live apart
Running it	One address, one set of keys	Several addresses, keys and owners unless one agent runs them
If it falls through	The whole crew is homeless at once	Part of the crew is affected, the rest stay put

What should bookers do differently?

• Brief by bedrooms, not by house. Ask for "eight bedrooms within ten minutes' walk of each other", not "one house for eight".
• Ask about licensing early. For five or more workers in one house in England, ask the owner whether the property is licensed. In Germany and the Netherlands, check floor space per person.
• Keep it to one booking. One reference, one contact, one invoice per period, and every flat's guest names on file (see swapping workers mid-stay).
• Split by shift or role. Supervisors or night workers in one flat, the rest in another.
• Plan the vans. Two flats usually means two parking problems. Check both before you book.

FAQ

How many workers can share one house?

It depends on the country. In England, five or more people from more than one household sharing facilities can make it a licensable large HMO. Germany and the Netherlands set minimum space per person.

Is it cheaper to put the whole crew in one big house?

Not always. Big houses are scarce, so they are often further from site or only free for part of the project.

Can a split crew still get one invoice?

Yes, if the flats are booked together under one reference with one agent.