Licensing

There is a requirement from 6 April 2006, that certain rented properties require a licence. The government has introduced a scheme which must be applied across the whole of the country, known as Mandatory Licensing. This requires that larger houses in multiple occupation are licensed. Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) have been redefined by the Housing Act 2004.

New definition of a house in multiple occupation

The Houses in Multiple Occupation which are required to have a licence, are those where there are 5 or more people and the property is 3 or more storeys. The number of storeys is not as straight forward as would first appear, please see our Which Properties page.

Government has given council’s the ability to introduce other types of licensing, which could require other types of property to be licensed. There has to be justification for these schemes being used, for example antisocial behaviour problems.

Why has licensing been introduced?

Licensing has been introduced to improve management and standards in this type of accommodation. There are increased risks of fire and problems of people having to share facilities.

Statistically Houses in Multiple Occupation have some of the worst living standards with the most vulnerable people living in them. Licensing is aimed at trying to reduce this problem, whilst acknowledging those landlords who provide a good standard of accommodation.

Residential Property Tribunal

The Residential Property Tribunal provides a fair, unbiased service for landlords, tenants and leaseholders and can be contacted at First Floor, 1 Market Avenue, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1JU. Telephone 0845 1002617 or 01243 779394. Direct Line 01243 521584.

Documents

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Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation - guide for landlords. File Format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 105KB