When does a property need an HMO licence?

In England, mandatory licensing applies when 5 or more people from 2 or more households share facilities. Many councils also run additional or selective licensing schemes covering smaller HMOs — the only safe check is against the specific council's scheme, which we do as standard before any application.

What happens if I run an unlicensed HMO?

Operating a licensable HMO without a licence is an offence carrying an unlimited fine or civil penalties of up to £30,000, and tenants can claim back up to 12 months' rent through a Rent Repayment Order. Section 21 notices are also invalid while the property is unlicensed.

What certificates does an HMO need?

Typically: an annual gas safety certificate, an EICR (with defects reported to the local authority and completed within 28 days for licensing purposes), a fire risk assessment, fire alarm and emergency lighting certificates where fitted, PAT testing for supplied appliances, and an EPC rated E or better.

HMO Services

Houses in Multiple Occupation are the most heavily regulated corner of the rental market — and the most profitable when run properly. We handle the whole journey: design, licence application, certificates and ongoing management.

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Running a licensable HMO without a licence risks an unlimited fine or civil penalties up to £30,000, Rent Repayment Orders returning up to 12 months' rent to tenants, and invalid Section 21 notices. Licensing is the first thing to get right — not the last.

HMO services

From floor plan to fully licensed

HMO Design

Before you convert, know what the council will accept. We assess your property against the licensing council's amenity and space standards — minimum room sizes, kitchen and bathroom ratios, escape routes and fire precautions — and produce a layout that maximises lettable rooms within the rules, not in spite of them.

Room-size audit against the council's standards (bedrooms under 6.51m² can't be let to a single adult)
Amenity ratios: kitchens, bathrooms and WCs per occupant
Fire strategy designed in from the start, not bolted on for the inspection
Works schedule your builder can price directly

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HMO Licence Application

Licence applications fail on detail: missing certificates, wrong floor plans, incomplete fit-and-proper-person declarations. We prepare and submit the whole package — and because we produce the certificates ourselves, nothing is missing when the council opens the file.

Mandatory, additional and selective scheme checks for your specific council
Scaled floor plans, certificates and declarations compiled and submitted
Council queries and inspection follow-ups handled for you
Renewals diarised so a licence never quietly expires

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HMO Certificates

Every certificate an HMO licence demands, from one supplier, on one renewal calendar:

Annual gas safety certificate (CP12)
EICR — HMO defects must be reported to the council and completed within 28 days
EPC rated E or better

Fire alarm and emergency lighting certificates
PAT testing for supplied appliances
Renewal tracking across the whole portfolio

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HMO Fire Risk Assessment

Shared houses carry higher fire risk — more cooking, more occupants, more escape-route complexity — and the Fire Safety Order applies in full. Our assessors know what licensing officers look for: detection grades and categories, protected routes, fire doors, and management arrangements that survive a spot inspection.

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HMO Management

The HMO Management Regulations put ongoing duties on whoever manages the property: keeping escape routes clear, maintaining shared areas, managing waste and keeping every certificate current. We provide the routine that keeps a licensed HMO compliant between inspections.

Periodic inspections of shared areas and fire precautions
Certificate renewals scheduled and completed on time
Issues logged with photos — evidence for licence renewals
Works co-ordinated with tenants in situ

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Common questions

HMO questions, answered

When does a shared house become a licensable HMO?

Mandatory licensing in England applies at 5 or more occupants forming 2 or more households sharing facilities. But many councils run additional or selective schemes that license smaller shared houses too — so the only safe answer comes from checking your specific council, which we do before advising.

How long does a licence application take?

Councils vary from weeks to several months. What you control is submitting a complete, correct application — incomplete ones go to the back of the queue. You can normally operate while a valid application is being processed, which is another reason to get it in properly and early.

Is a small 3-person house share worth licensing checks?

Yes — it may still be an HMO (lower management duties apply even unlicensed), and if the council brings in additional licensing you'll need to act quickly. A quick check now is far cheaper than a Rent Repayment Order later.