The random rolling out of HMO definitions?
The Department of Levelling Up has provided the opportunity for local authorities to roll out their own legislation under the umbrella of their more penal HMO regulations covering all kinds of bizarre areas.
I have been caught out as I have 4 tenants (Parliament says 5 or more the London boroughs have reduced the number to qualify to 3) I have had to install institutional lighting and other intrusion items at a cost of £5000. And sign up to a whole tranche of procedures to cover tenant’s behaviorism.
This morning my mortgage company advised me now that I am in breach of the T & Cs as I have not declared this so-called HMO and are asking me to regularise the situation that I find myself unwittingly in.
I am caught between Westminster and the London Boroughs Of Trotsky Lenin & Stalin who cannot agree on what constitutes an HMO!
Looks like another rental lost.
Any answers?
Tim
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Member Since March 2023 - Comments: 24
5:33 PM, 15th January 2024, About 2 years ago
Leave the sector and thus pass the ensuing nightmare for tenants onto the complicit councils
Member Since January 2023 - Comments: 317
9:31 PM, 15th January 2024, About 2 years ago
Additional 254 HMO licencing is what you are referring to. Which is another money making scam for Councils. I sold my 4 bed as it was not worth the hassle. Luckily Westminster got rid of 257 HMO licencing, which applied to communal areas, as it was so complicated for them to work out who had full ‘control’ of the building BUT when the LL Portal comes out ALL Councils will be chasing for 257 HMO Licences to generate even more income, of course fines AND charge hundreds of £ for any ‘Improvement’. Notices they issue- Labour Government will give them green light for everything- so called devolment of power!
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3514 - Articles: 5
10:05 AM, 16th January 2024, About 2 years ago
give all the tenants notice? Explain to them you have to reduce the number of occupants to 3 and see if you can come up with a solution?
Member Since October 2019 - Comments: 398
10:59 AM, 16th January 2024, About 2 years ago
Licensing will spread throughout the country like a plague with rules constantly changing to plug any gaps. Licence fee in my area is nearly £1,000 – for what? £30,000 – unlimited fines for each spec of dust an inspector may find!
Member Since October 2020 - Comments: 198
12:10 PM, 16th January 2024, About 2 years ago
Councils can introduce ‘additional licencing’ for shared houses with 3-4 unrelated occupants. This does NOT imply you need institutional lighting etc.
Member Since October 2022 - Comments: 402
12:59 PM, 16th January 2024, About 2 years ago
The key thing is to understand the flavour of HMO ( re institutional lighting). If it’s a shared house, i.e a group of friends on one tenancy, no locks on bedroom doors presumably eat/cook together and not in their rooms
Two things ate important 1) it does not come under the regulatory reform order (fire safety) and 2) the fire risk is 1/6 of that of a bedsit type HMO
Councils prefer the blanket approach, emergency lighting etc when hhsrs doesn’t actually mandate it. This requires the landlord to push back and ask to see the hhsrs ratings (which they won’t have done as licensing is about revenue generation) and negotiate as to whether fire doors etc are actually required. Its time consuming for both but the rewards are there.
Member Since September 2023 - Comments: 335
1:51 PM, 16th January 2024, About 2 years ago
Get out of the system , give the council the problem.
Member Since July 2015 - Comments: 42
8:26 AM, 20th January 2024, About 2 years ago
Sell or convert into flats.
Simple.
Member Since June 2021 - Comments: 15
9:56 AM, 20th January 2024, About 2 years ago
I am one of 4 freeholders of a converted property. Despite having a separate entrance to my rental basement flat, Camden council viewed it as part of the required supplementary HMO for communal areas for the upper part of the property, where there are three properties. Even I don’t have keys for the upper part of the property let alone tenants as we are completely independent. Seems an utter nonsense to me. But that’s how they are dealing with effects of years and years of central government cuts to funding.
Member Since November 2020 - Comments: 51
11:14 AM, 20th January 2024, About 2 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Simon F at 16/01/2024 – 12:10
Not on it’s own, but if your HMO licence requires an FRA then it will almost certainly require emergency lighting. Many of us have been there, coupled with exit strategy signs and fire exit sign over front and back doors of a simple shared 3 bed terrace house.