The Housing Act 2004 introduced the licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) from 6 April 2006.
Local Authorities are required to license larger, higher risk HMOs, which initially will comprise those of three stories and above occupied by at least five persons who constitute more than one household.
This introductory guide for landlords is also available as a PDF format leaflet to download below.
Applying to Have Your HMO Exempted
If you are a landlord or person in control of a property and intend to stop operating it as an HMO or reduce the numbers of occupants and can give clear evidence of this, then you can apply for a Temporary Exemption Notice.
This lasts for a maximum of three months and ensures that a property in the process of being converted from an HMO does not need to be licensed.
If the situation is not resolved, then a second Temporary Exemption Notice can be issued.
When this runs out the property must be licensed, become subject to an Interim Management Order, or cease to be an HMO.
For more advice about HMO licensing and Temporary Exemption Notices, you can download a guidance booklet for landlords and managers from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
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