The law around Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) is changing

From 1 October 2018 mandatory licensing will no longer be limited to HMOs that are three or more storeys high, but will also include buildings with one or two storeys.

Currently, a property must have a Mandatory HMO licence if all of the following criteria apply:

  • it’s rented to 5 or more people who form more than 1 household.
  • it’s at least 3 storeys high.
  • tenants share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities.

From the 1 October 2018 a property will require a Mandatory HMO License if:

  • it is rented to 5 or more people from more than 1 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. 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 3 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).

The legislation that details which HMOs require a Mandatory HMO Licence is available on our Applying for a HMO licence page

Posted on Thursday 20th September 2018