0 Stress HMO Licence Application

HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) is a house or flat with 3 or more residents forming 2 or more households. A household is essentially a family (including cousins and unmarried couples). So 3 friends living together would be an HMO.

Always if an HMO has 5 or more people. Depending on the council, you might also need it if you have 3 or more people. We will confirm this when you request the quote.

Our £480 fee covers the compliance check to make sure your property meets the council's standards, preparation of all supporting documents, and submission of the application. Separately, the council will charge you an HMO licence fee. Prices vary depending on the council, but typically start at £900. If the council also requires a planning application, we handle the whole planning process for £600. Finally, if you don't have any of the required certificates, we get these for you. The cost varies depending on the certificate and the size of your property. Typically we charge £100 per certificate.

We have a 100% success rate with pure HMO Licence applications. When planning is also required, this drops to 80%. Planning is often discretionary and a lot less predictable than licensing.

Immidiatly after the HMO licence application is submitted. On average it takes us 7 days to submit a pure HMO licence appliction and 14 days when planning is required.

No, if your property already has a valid HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) licence, you typically don't need a separate selective licence. However, it's best to confirm your specific situation with us.

The licence must be held by the property owner (landlord), not the managing agent. However, managing agents can apply on behalf of the landlord with proper authorization. We can handle the entire process for you.

If you are applying from overseas, and wish to be the licence holder, you must nominate a UK-based managing agent who can act on your behalf. This person must be fit and proper and capable of managing the property in line with licensing conditions. The must also complete and sign a declaration confirming they are fit and proper and agree to the conditions attached to the licence. We will get all the paperwork needed for this.

If you live in the property as your main home and rent out a room to a lodger who shares facilities with you (such as the kitchen or bathroom), you would not normally need a selective licence. If part of your home is let as a separate self-contained unit (with its own facilities and tenancy agreement), this will usually fall within the scope of licensing, even if you live in another part of the property. If you have three or more lodgers living with you, the property may be classed as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). In that case, you may need an HMO licence.

It is a legal requirement to obtain a selective licence for a property within a designated licensing area. Failure to apply for a licence can result in serious consequences, including: fines up to £30,000; prosecution; having tenants claim up to 12 months of rent back; and being put on the Rogue Tenant list.