HMO

A property is referred to as an HMO if several people live in it independently of each other. This describes a House of Multiple Occupation. There are many categories of housing that could be described in this manner. However, they are all occupied by people who are not from the same household.

The term is used to describe certain properties in the rental market. According to information on the official government website, an HMO is a property rented to three or more people sharing common facilities but rent their own rooms there. Common shared facilities would include the bathroom and kitchen areas.

Landlords in England and Wales who would like to convert a house to several people in this manner may require a licence to do so. Typically, the number of tenants intended to live in an HMO property would number at least five. However, some areas require landlords of HMOs to have a licence if they rent a property to fewer people than this. Regardless of where you live in England and Wales, if you are a landlord and you wish to rent out a property of this nature, the first step should be to confirm whether your council requires you to hold a licence for an HMO. It is always best to officially confirm this, even if you don’t think you need the licence.

Even if not all tenants share common facilities, your property could still be regarded as an HMO if some tenants share in this way. if you hold a licence, it will run for up to five years and must be renewed before it expires. Furthermore, if you have more than one property, a licence would be required for each one if it falls into the definition of an HMO.

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