Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Licence

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

Apply and renew a HMO licence

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:

Type of application Type of fee 2023/24

House in Multiple Occupation - Licensing (New Application)

Licensing Fee ( application fee only)

450.00

House in Multiple Occupation - Issue of License

Maintenance and monitoring of licence fee.  one off with up to 5 year life

342.00

House in Multiple Occupation - Renewal of Licence

Licensing Fee

420.00

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. You can download the register.

Licensing

Address: Causeway House
Bocking End
Braintree
Essex
CM7 9HB

Telephone: 01376 552525

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