There are three property licensing schemes that have been in operation since 1st July 2019 in Slough:
- Mandatory licensing for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) with 5 or more occupants covering the whole of the Borough.
- Additional licensing for all HMOs (not covered by mandatory scheme, i.e. smaller HMOs) also covering the whole of the Borough.
- Selective licensing of all privately rented property covering most of Chalvey and Central Wards, irrespective of the occupation.
What is a HMO?
An HMO is any rented property which consists of three or more occupants, forming two or more households where there is some sharing of amenities or where the units of accommodation lack amenities, such as bathrooms, kitchens or toilets.
What is a household?
‘Households’ for the purposes of the Housing Act 2004 includes members of the same family living together who are:
- Couples married to each other or living together as husband and wife (or in an equivalent relationship in the case of persons of the same sex).
- Relatives living together, including parents, grandparents, children (and step-children), grandchildren, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces or cousins. Half-relatives are treated as full relatives.
- A foster child living with his foster parents is treated as living in the same household as his foster parent.
Does my property require a licence?
To check if you require a licence, please create an account on the licensing for rented property system. There are instructions on how to enter the addresses to check which, if any, licence you might require.
Check the Selective Licensing area map. You can zoom in to check the street names.
It is a criminal offence for landlords and managing agents to let out a property that is not properly licensed. Operating a property which is required to be licensed without a licence is an offence punishable by a Financial Penalty of up to £30,000 or an unlimited fine on conviction in a Magistrates Court.
Failure to licence your property could also mean that your tenants may also be able to apply for a Rent Repayment Order for a period of up to 12 months.
As a landlord, it is your responsibility to keep up to date and to find out about any schemes/changes that both the Government and Local Authority have introduced that may affect you.