What does Houses in Multiple Occupation mean? Houses of multiple occupancy relates to any residential property that gets shared by more than one household.
HMO LEGISLATION: As a rule, HMO residents share 'common areas' within the property.
Do you let your property to several tenants who are not all members from the same family? In this case, you might be letting a 'House in Multiple Occupation'.
There is a simple way to determine if your property is a House of Multiple Occupancy. You have an HMO if both of these apply to you:
What does a 'household' consist of relating to Houses in Multiple Occupation? A household means a single person or several members of the same family living together.
Households include married people and unmarried couples who live together. It also relates to people who cohabit in same-sex relationships.
If you are a landlord renting out a property, you must have an HMO licence if five (5) or more people occupy the property.
Some district councils may include other property types that need HMO licensing. You should contact your local council to confirm whether you need an HMO licence.
The council will carry out a Housing Health and Safety Rating System risk assessment on your HMO. This occurs within five (5) years of receiving your House in Multiple Occupation licence application.
The house inspector will check for any unacceptable risks during the HHSRS assessment. The landlord must then conduct the appropriate work to eliminate any hazards.
You must report some specific changes to your local council such as if:
Your local council will confirm whether you need a licence to rent out a property as an HMO in England or Wales.
You need a House in Multiple Occupation licence to rent out a large HMO in England or Wales. Properties meet the definition of a large HMO if all these apply:
Note: Renting out a smaller property to fewer people may still require a licence (determined by location).
If you get a House in Multiple Occupation licence you will need to ensure:
Your responsibilities also include:
Note: Regional council authorities can add other conditions to the HMO licence, such as improving the standard of facilities. You can apply to the First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber - Residential Property) if you disagree with conditions set by the council.
The rules on renting out 'house share' properties are strict. Renting out an unlicensed HMO can result in an unlimited fine.
Houses in Multiple Occupation Legislation in the United Kingdom