The law relating to shared houses or houses in multiple occupation has changed. Since 1st October 2018, landlords of most Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) that house five or more people and not a single household must apply for an HMO licence.

What are the proposed changes?

• All HMOs with five or more people living in two or more households, regardless of the number of storeys in the property, will need to be licensed. This includes any flat which contains five or more people living in two or more households where the flat has not been purpose-built to multiple occupant standards. This applies to flats above or below commercial premises.
• There are now legal national minimum standards for bedroom sizes in HMOs.  

What happens if I already have a licence from my local council?

Properties already licensed with the local council will be “passported” into the new mandatory licensing and will not need to take further action.

You will need to re-apply for a HMO licence when your current licence expires.

You can apply for a HMO licence online.