CouncilRegistering homes in multiple occupation
Houses in multiple occupation
The council operates a Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) controlled registration scheme. A House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) will have to meet minimum specified standards as a condition of registration. The council also monitors Houses in Multiple Occupations.
The council is responsible for checking Houses in Multiple Occupation to make sure:
- They are in a satisfactory condition
- They are safe
- They have a satisfactory means of escape from a fire
- They have sufficient bathrooms and kitchens
- They have adequate space
- They are properly managed.
What is an HMO?
A House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) is a house, which is occupied by people who do not form a single household. Examples of this include:
- A house let as individual bedsits or rooms
- A group of rooms on each floor let to single occupants
- Hostels, some hotels, guesthouses
- Lodgings and shared houses
- Houses converted into self-contained flats
Exemptions
The following Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) do not need to be registered:
- House or flat with only two people
- Resident landlord plus two separate tenants
- Houses converted entirely into self contained flats with building regulations approval and where at least one third are occupied by the owner
- Houses subject to control orders
- Registered social landlords, like housing associations
- Houses registered under the Children Act 1989 and Registered Homes Act 1984
- Educational establishments
- Health service accommodation
- Local authority owned property.
What are the standards?
A House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) will have to meet the council's standards. These standards include:
- A means of escape in case of a fire and other fire precautions
- Amenities such as kitchens, bathrooms, toilets and wash hand basins
- No overcrowding with regards to the number and size of the rooms
- The property being generally fit for occupation
- Management standards being in place
- Gas safety
- Furniture fire safety.
Who needs to register?
The responsible person i.e. the landlord or the person who has control or who manages a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) must apply to register the premises with the council and pay the appropriate fee.
It is an offence under the provisions of the Housing Act 1996 not to register a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).
Fees payable to the council
The cost of registration for a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) is £50 per habitable room. The registration lasts for five years and is renewable at the end of the term.
For further information and to obtain an application form, please use the contact details below.
Further information
For further information, please contact the Environmental health and trading standards department on:
Tel: 020 7364 5008
Fax: 02 7364 6831
