Properties that are occupied by 5 or more people forming 2 or more households, regardless of the number of floors in the property, need a Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence from us.
Landlords who operate a property like this without a licence may be subject to fines and legal action.
Investigations into unlicensed properties
We regularly carry out investigations to identify houses that require licences, where landlords have not applied for a licence they will be at risk of:
- criminal prosecutions with unlimited fines
- a civil penalty of up to £30,000
- losing rent through possible rent repayment orders. The Council have to consider these in every case
- problems getting possession of properties due to the non-availability of Section 21, Housing Act 1988
Where a landlord or agent has a previous history of non-compliance with licensing legislation we may go direct to legal proceedings for failure to apply.
Report an unlicensed property
You can tell us if you believe a property that requires an HMO licence is being rented without one.