Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO's)

In this section

  1. What is a HMO?
  2. Mandatory Licensing
  3. HMO Standards
  4. Fire Safety for HMO's
  5. Fees and charges
  6. Applying for a HMO Licence
  7. Planning Rules for HMO's
  8. HMO Enforcement
  9. HMO Register
  10. Report an Unlicensed HMO
  11. Reporting a disrepair in HMO
  12. Varying a HMO license
  13. Buying and selling a HMO
  14. Revoking a HMO licence
  15. FAQ's - houses in multiple occupation

Applying for a HMO Licence

Privacy Notice - We collect and hold personal information about you because the Law, Parts 2 and 3 of the Housing Act 2004, say we must. We use this information to amongst things maintain a public register of licensed HMOs and to make copies of the registers available to the public upon request, as required by the Act and its related statutory instrument. 

This also includes issuing copies of the HMO register when we receive requests from people wanting to access this information under s232(5) of the Housing Act 2004).

To make a licence application valid (and for a landlord to fulfil their statutory duty to apply for a licence) we need: 

  1. A fully completed application form
  2. Supporting documentation
  3. Part one of the application fee

Information you need for an application  

You must provide contact details for all interested parties, including:

  • Applicant
  • Proposed licence holder
  • Manager(s)
  • Owner/Joint owners
  • Any long-term tenant(s)/leaseholder(s) 
  • Any other person willing to be bound by the conditions of the licence
  • The mortgage provider(s) and relevant account number(s)

You must also provide details of:

  • Knowledge of the criminal record, if any, of the applicant, proposed licence holder and manager
  • Details of relevant accreditations, qualifications and professional memberships
  • Details regarding the facilities and amenities of the house
  • Details of the scheme in which the tenancy deposits are held

Supporting documents

You must provide all of the following supporting documents and certificates:

  • Photo Identification for the proposed licensed holder. If a company is making the application. Photo ID for the director or person in control of the company
  • Proof of address for the licence holder or company (A council tax statement)
  • A current, valid gas safety certificate (If applicable)
  • A current, valid electrical safety certificate – Electrical Installation Certificate or Periodic Inspection Report
  • A current, valid fire alarm test certificate
  • A current, valid emergency lighting test certificate, if there is emergency lighting in the property
  • A current Fire Risk Assessment
  • Any work undertaken that has required building control sign off

Where a certificate comprises multiple pages, you must provide the whole certificate, not just the first page. Unsatisfactory certificates will not be accepted; any remedial works identified on the certificates must be completed and a new satisfactory certificate submitted.

What we will do next

We will process your form and contact you to book an appointment to carry out an inspection of the property and request payment of the second part payment. We aim to process all HMO applications within 4 weeks.

We will then draft licence conditions based on the findings from this inspection. The draft licence (known as an intention notice) will be emailed or posted to you and other interested parties for consultation. 

After 14 days we will then grant your HMO licence (known as the decision notice). Again, copies will be sent to all interested parties.

If you are unhappy with the conditions, you will have an opportunity to appeal to the first-tier property tribunal.

We will re-inspect the property within three years to check conditions have been complied with. Failing to comply with any conditions on your licence is an offence.

Click here to apply for a HMO Licence