One bumbling council in the South West has managed to lose track of exactly how many HMOs it has in several towns within its jurisdiction. Unfortunately, without an accurate list of HMO properties, it can’t be certain that some landlords are paying the requisite licence fee.
Under the rules of HMO licencing, a landlord with a shared rental property housing six or more tenants over at least three floors must apply for a special HMO licence. These types of properties typically provide accommodation to students, young professionals, and single people, and are sub-divided into small bedsits with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. An HMO licence helps local authorities keep track of such properties and allows them to check on the living standards to make sure they are safe for tenants.
At the moment, the council “thinks” there are at least eighty-three houses where three or more tenants share the accommodation, but it isn’t completely sure. Unsurprisingly councillors would like to gain a clearer picture of the current situation in order to ensure the correct licence fees are being paid and vulnerable tenants are not living in slums. So to this end, they are urging landlords to step forward and apply for an HMO licence if they haven’t already done so. And in the event that some landlords don’t manage to do this, local residents are encouraged to report any properties they suspect are housing multiple tenants.
The council does point out, however, that: “HMO licensing is there to protect the tenants and assist the landlords if or when help is required.”
