Licensing Houses in Multiple Occupation
If you own or are the landlord of a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), you need a licence if it:
- is occupied by five or more persons living as more than one household
- facilities such as bathroom, living room and kitchen are shared by the occupants
You can apply and renew your licence online at GOV.UK
We issue a HMO licence for up to five years. If you have more than one HMO you need a separate licence for each property.
It is a criminal offence to operate an HMO without a licence.
You will not need a HMO licence if your property is:
- occupied by you and members of your family and you have no more than two lodgers
- converted into self-contained flats and meets 1991 (or more recent) Building Regulations
- converted into self-contained flats and at least two-thirds are occupied by long leaseholders. A long lease is 21 years or more.
- student accommodation which is in the control of an educational establishment
- occupied by religious communities
- managed by a registered social landlord or public body
If you're not sure if your property will need a licence, you can check with our Licensing team or get independent specialist advice.
Fees
the fees for a HMO licence are:
- application fee is £360
- isuing fee is £300
- renewal fee is £350
About HMO licences
We license HMOs to make sure that:
- landlords are fit and proper persons or employ agents who are
- adequate management is in place and tenants are protected
- HMOs are well maintained and meet health and safety requirements
- we can enforce standards in HMOs and take action if landlords do not co-operate
It is a is a criminal offence to run a HMO without a licence and you could get a fine of up to £20,000. Your tenants can claim back any rent they paid you during the period when the property should have been licensed but wasn't.
It is also an offence if you have a licence but do not comply with the conditions. You could get a fine of up to £5,000 for breach of licence conditions.
We publish details of all HMOs in our district that have a licence on our public register.