HMO licensing guidance for local authorities – and landlords

HMO licensing guidance for local authorities – and landlords

13:45 PM, 20th June 2018, About 6 years ago 4

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The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has today issued the document “Houses in multiple occupation and residential property licensing reform: guidance for local housing authorities.”
The guidance has been produced for local housing authorities, but is also intended to be of use for landlords.

Click Here to read the full document.

From 1 October 2018 any landlord who lets a property to five or more people from two or more separate households must be licensed by their local housing authority

This document has been prepared as a guide for local housing authorities to help them understand how to implement the reforms to houses in multiple occupation (HMO)licensing.

Under the Housing Act 2004, larger that are 3 or more storeys and occupied by 5 or more persons forming at least 2 separate households are required to be licensed.

With effect from 1 October 2018 mandatory licensing of will be extended so that smaller properties used as in England which house 5 people or more in 2 or more separate households will in many cases require a licence.

New mandatory conditions to be included in licences have also been introduced, prescribing national minimum sizes for rooms used as sleeping accommodation and requiring landlords to adhere to council refuse schemes.

Housing minister, Heather Wheeler MP, said: “Everyone deserves a decent and safe place to live.

“Today’s new guidance for landlords will further protect private renters against bad and overcrowded conditions and poor management practice.”


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Comments

Marlena Topple

8:26 AM, 23rd June 2018, About 6 years ago

I am a student landlord and have signed a tenancy agreement for the 2018/19 academic year on a property that includes a bedroom that is smaller than the prescibed minimum room size. Can anyone tell me if the introduction of these new rules make this agreement unlawful or can I honour the agreement?

Grumpy Doug

10:22 AM, 23rd June 2018, About 6 years ago

Hi Marlena. The official "guidance" from the government is that the council should allow you up to 18 months to rectify the room size issue ie move walls or reduce the number of tenants, which you can do for 2019-20 intake. My local council have just issued their guidance and I should be good for the 18 months (I have 3 bedrooms in the same situation). The general consensus around here is that it could take a year plus for them to even make it round all the student houses that will be caught up in this.

Mick Roberts

10:42 AM, 4th July 2018, About 6 years ago

Can you Landlords please sign this & forward to all your contacts.
A small hope, we have to try anything & everything.

I'm sure we not get 10k signatures, but the more Licensing & Govt start to see these things, who knows.

“Petition calling for a review of Nottingham City Councils Selective Licensing."
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/223039

Marlena Topple

18:14 PM, 4th July 2018, About 6 years ago

Doug
Thank you so much.
Best wishes
Marlena

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