0:01 AM, 22nd August 2025, About 4 months ago 9
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A council wants tenants and members of the public to report unlicensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) as part of an enforcement crackdown on landlords.
Coventry Council has warned that enforcement action will be taken against landlords who breach licensing and management conditions of HMOs, the Coventry Telegraph reports.
The news follows Harlow Council stepping up enforcement against poor standards in private housing, with targeted inspections and action against rogue landlords and unsafe HMOs.
According to the Coventry Telegraph, nearly 900 complaints about unlicensed HMOs have been submitted to the local authority since the start of last year.
The Coventry Telegraph reports there were 643 inspections for HMO licence compliance in 2023, with 368 so far this year.
Inspections of unlicensed HMOs have already overtaken last year’s figure of 442, with 447 carried out to date.
Cabinet member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Naeem Akhtar, says the council investigates every complaint of HMOs and warns landlords need to comply with the rules.
He told the Coventry Telegraph: “As part of our commitment to improving the management and condition of HMOs in the city, we actively encourage tenants, residents and other key stakeholders to report any concerns relating to multi occupied properties and investigate all complaints we receive. We also use other data to proactively identify potential unlicensed HMOs and prioritise these for an investigation.
“Where we determine the property is an unlicensed HMO, we give the landlord the opportunity to licence the property. Where appropriate, we pursue enforcement action for breaches of the legislation relating to the licensing and management of HMOs.”
A previous article by Property118 warned that councils will continue to target landlords, with one firm stressing the need for landlords to stay compliant.
Phil Turtle, from Landlord Licensing & Defence, explained that one landlord, who allowed an HMO licence to expire, was hit with a staggering £105,000 in fines.
He warns landlords need to be aware that councils are shifting to a stringent, automated enforcement approach, with well-resourced housing officers targeting non-compliant landlords.
He said: “The councils aren’t here to hold your hand. They’re a self-funding operation, and every fine they issue fuels their next investigation.”
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The_Maluka
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Member Since May 2015 - Comments: 2078 - Articles: 1
10:16 AM, 22nd August 2025, About 4 months ago
” . . . one landlord, who allowed an HMO licence to expire, was hit with a staggering £105,000 in fines.”
A ‘proportionate’ fine for an administrative error, I think we would all agree.
Disgrunteld Landlady
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Member Since July 2024 - Comments: 96
10:16 AM, 22nd August 2025, About 4 months ago
If tenants end up in breach of their AST by lying and bringing in other tenants creating a HMO unbeknown to the landlord or landlady then they equally have to be liable for prosecution and fines.
moneymanager
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Member Since February 2018 - Comments: 610
10:17 AM, 22nd August 2025, About 4 months ago
‘They’re a self-funding operation, and every fine they issue fuels their next investigation.”
That sounds eerily like the use by war criminals of firestorm bombing which litteraly sucks the air from a living body.
moneymanager
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Member Since February 2018 - Comments: 610
10:17 AM, 22nd August 2025, About 4 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Disgrunteld Landlady at 22/08/2025 – 10:16
Not ‘equally’, wholly.
Judith Wordsworth
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Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1339
12:59 PM, 22nd August 2025, About 4 months ago
And a wave of reportings by disgruntled ex tenants to cause un founded aggravation to landlords
Reluctant Landlord
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Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3335 - Articles: 5
10:53 AM, 23rd August 2025, About 4 months ago
errr….I thought that’s what the HMO licencing fee was for…to self fund the process to ensure all HMO’s are licenced and compliant so no ‘rogue’ landlords exist?
So in addition to the public paying them council tax, AND HMO licencing fees they now want the taxpayer to do the job they are funded to do themselves?
GlanACC
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Member Since March 2023 - Comments: 1429
9:10 AM, 25th August 2025, About 3 months ago
It can be extremenly difficult to spot an unlicensed landlord, the council should make it a condition that a copy of the license and insurance are displayed on the enterance to the property. That way tenants can easily check the credentials of the landlord (I am a landlord too)
moneymanager
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Member Since February 2018 - Comments: 610
13:34 PM, 25th August 2025, About 3 months ago
EPCs have to be present in an advert to sell or let, why not just have a link from that to the Council’s database, no link, no advert?
In any event, ‘compliance’ is always done by the compliant majority and ignored or obfuscated about by the illintentioned minority, society has become too ready to ineffectually manage the easy ‘haystack’ while being disinclined to searching for the ‘too difficult’ pin.
The_Maluka
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Member Since May 2015 - Comments: 2078 - Articles: 1
14:01 PM, 25th August 2025, About 3 months ago
I recall a similar scheme of neighbours and family reporting on each other was implemented in East Germany. The East Germans did not have the advantage of ubiquitous CCTV that we now have in the UK.