HMO Tenant Clarification Scenario?

HMO Tenant Clarification Scenario?

9:41 AM, 21st January 2022, About 2 years ago 5

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I’m thinking about renting out my 2 double bedroom house in the future if we need to move for work. However, I’m trying to plan the economics of it for the different types of tenant make ups.

I am wondering about renting it out as a house share with: one couple and one single adult taking each of the bedrooms and then with shared Kitchen, Lounge / Diner, Bathroom and separate toilet. I’m unsure if this constitutes a HMO or not?

It’s actually the same makeup of persons living there at the moment. Ie my girlfriend and I have one bedroom, and then we have a lodger in the other bedroom.

Many thanks

Rob


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Comments

Bill O'Dell

12:31 PM, 21st January 2022, About 2 years ago

(HMO) is a property rented out by at least 3 people who are not from 1 ‘household’. So to be under the wire for HMO regs it needs to be 2 tenants. But it won't be a registrable HMO unless your local authority has selective licensing.
Good information available here https://www.gov.uk/renting-out-a-property/houses-in-multiple-occupation-hmo
You'll need fire doors, smoke alarms generally at least 3, EICR, Gas certificate, EPC at al. But you'll sleep better knowing you meet the regs!

Bwel

13:01 PM, 21st January 2022, About 2 years ago

Hi Bill,
Would that mean that if an Unmarried Couple (i.e. 1 Household), have an additional non-related Adult move in to share a house with them, that your rental becomes a HMO ?

Or is the fact that the 1st couple are a household then this is not that case ?

Reading the Gov, site it seems that as a Landlord, you need to be guarded of your Tenants taking in a lodger and breaching HMO requirements. Of course, your STA would ideally prohibit this ?

David

17:34 PM, 21st January 2022, About 2 years ago

an unmarried couple plus friend is 3 people in 2 households which means its a HMO and has to meet all the HMO Management Regulations. You need to see whether your council has Additional Licensing, (not selective licensing) for the area your property is in and whether their scheme includes 3 person HMOs.

Overall, I would say its better for you to do a family let.

Bwel

18:00 PM, 21st January 2022, About 2 years ago

Many thanks, I’ll contact the council to see what’s required and then make a decision from there.

Dylan Morris

16:02 PM, 23rd January 2022, About 2 years ago

I’ve let a two bed flat out to a couple and their friend. As this is more than two people from two or more households it’s an HMO.
Phoned local authority and they agreed it was an HMO. However they said it does not need to be licensed due to only 3 tenants and they class it as a “low risk HMO”.
The flat is purpose built and on a site of around 200 units and around 10 years old. I explained to the Environmental officer that it has a fire door and the site has a management company running things. She asked me about fire alarms and I explained there was one in the hallway and another in lounge. She asked whether all the alarms in the block were interlinked and I told her not the individual flats, but communal areas were linked as far as I was aware. She wasn’t concerned and told me it would be fine as long as tenants didn’t exceed three.

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