From 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.

• All HMOs with five or more people living in two or more households, 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 legal national minimum standards for bedroom sizes in HMOs.  

Licenses are valid for a maximum of five years. You will need to re-apply for a HMO licence when your current licence expires. Failure to licence an HMOs is a criminal offence and subject to a Civil Penalty fine up to £30 000, alternatively landlords can be prosecuted in the magistrate’s court and upon conviction can face an unlimited fine. Occupying tenants may apply for a rent repayment order for the period the HMO is unlicensed.

You can apply for a HMO licence online.