Extension of HMO licensing
Mandatory licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) will be extended on the 1st October 2018. From that date mandatory licensing will apply to HMOs that are below three storeys if they are occupied by five or more persons in two or more separate households. This is in addition to the current requirement for those of three storeys or more.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/221/memorandum/contents
It is estimated that by doing this an additional 177,000 HMOs will become subject to mandatory licensing in England.
Landlords of HMOs falling within the prescribed description who fail to apply for licences by 1 October 2018 commit a criminal offence from that date. Licences issued in advance of the date cannot come into force before 1st October.
In addition, mandatory licence conditions in HMOs will be extended to include those relating to minimum sleeping accommodation standards, maximum occupancy of such rooms and the disposal of domestic waste in HMOs. These are currently being presented through Parliament and will be introduced shortly.
