Houses in multiple occupation (HMO)

• HMO licence application form (PDF, 365KB)
• Application form guidance (PDF, 266KB)
• HMO online licence application
• HMO licence fees 2018/19 (PDF, 189KB)
• HMO frequently asked questions (PDF, 244KB)
• Standards for HMOs (PDF, 329KB)
• Housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS) leaflet (PDF, 52KB)

What is a HMO?

A property is a house in multiple occupation (HMO) if both of the following apply:

• at least 3 tenants live there, forming more than one household
• Toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities are shared with other tenants

A property is a large HMO if both of the following apply:

• at least five tenants live there, forming more than one household
• Toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities are shared with other tenants

A household is either a single person or members of the same family who live together. A family includes people who are:

• married or living together - including people in same-sex relationships
• relatives or half-relatives, for example grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings
• step-parents and step-children

If you are a tenant in shared accommodation, you may live in an HMO. These properties can be an entire house, flat or converted building or any of the following:

• Bedsits
• Shared houses
• Households with a lodger
• Purpose-built HMOs
• Hostels
• Guesthouses - if rented out of season
• Bed and breakfasts providing accommodation for homeless people
• Some types of self-contained flats converted from houses

Does an HMO need a licence?

A property is a licensable HMO if it:

• has 5 or more unrelated people live in it
• has 2 or more separate households living there

Licensing also applies to blocks of purpose-built flats where there are up to two flats in the block and one or both are occupied as an HMO.

Last updated: 24 December 2018