HMOs that require a licence

Mandatory licensing for HMOs is no longer limited to HMOs that are three or more storeys high, but also includes buildings with one or two storeys.

A property will require a mandatory HMO license if it is rented to five or more people from more than one household, and the HMO is either:

• A building where a tenant shares a basic amenity (i.e. toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities) or their living accommodation lacks a basic amenity (e.g. a shared house arrangement)
• A self-contained flat where a tenant shares a basic amenity. Excluding purpose-built flats that are situated in a block of three or more self-contained flats.
• A building that has been converted and one or more of the units of accommodation is not self-contained (e.g. bed-sit type arrangement).

Apply for an HMO licence.