It is a mandatory requirement that Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) with five or more occupants in all parts of the borough must be licensed.
What is an HMO
An HMO is any rented property which consists of:
- three or more occupants, forming two or more households and
- where there is some sharing of 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 a married or civil partnered couple, or living together as if they are a married couple or in a civil partnership
- are parents, grandparents, children (and step-children), grandchildren, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces or cousins. Half-relatives are treated as full relatives
- is a foster child living with their foster parents.
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 address of the property to check if a licence is required.
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. More information can be found at our Private landlords section as well as guidance on renting out your property at the GOV.uk site.