Safety inspection - homes in multiple occupation
Summary
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Licensing, was introduced under the Housing Act 2004 with an implementation
date of 6th April 2006. This is a major new piece of legislation requiring landlords of certain HMO's, to obtain a licence
and to manage the premises within conditions specified on that licence. The local authority carries out safety inspections
and issues licenses for homes of multiple occupancy to ensure that they are:
- safe
- fit to live in
- meet the legislative standards
How to apply for a HMO Licence as a Landlord
- The HMO licence enforcement provisions came into force on 6 July 2006, it is now an offence to operate a licensable HMO without a licence - there are heavy penalties on conviction.
- The procedure for licensing is fairly complicated; therefore we have devised a pre application form which will help you to determine whether your property needs licensing.
- If your property is licensable, the application form and everything else you need is available below.
Printable forms
Further information
What is a licensable HMO (House in Multiple Occupation)?
A house with three or more storey’s, and with five or more people living there, in two or more households. It is an offence to operate a licensable HMO without a licence. The licence makes sure that the property is safe and meets basic occupancy standards, for example, has enough bathrooms.
What counts as a storey?
Working out what counts as a storey in a house can sometimes be complicated. Basements and attics count, as do mezzanine floors. Sometimes other parts of the building such as shared stairs can count as a storey as well. If you are in any doubt please contact the HMO team.
What if it's a family that lives in the house?
The house only needs a licence if there are two or more households (people who are unrelated) living there.
Why are HMOs licensed?
If a property is licensed it means that it needs to meet certain standards to ensure that it's safe. It has been found, for example, that you are 16 times more likely to have a fire in a three storey HMO than in other types of property. The person managing the property also needs to follow a code of good management practice and be a fit and proper person which means that the property will be well managed.
What should I do if I think a property should be licensed but isn't?
You can check with the HMO team to see if it's already been licensed, or simply tell us the address and other information you think is useful.
However you choose to contact us we will treat the information in complete confidence. Unless you specifically ask us to do so, we will not call or email you back, and we will not keep your contact details. We will never pass your details onto the landlord of the property. Any information you give will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Fire Safety Guidance
The Government has recently issued guidance on fire safety to assist in understanding what has to be done to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO). The intention of this guidance is to ensure that there is a consistent risk assessment approach in private rented properties by both Fire Services and Local Authorities. Compliance with the guidance will also satisfy the HMO licensing requirement.
External websites
- Decent and safe Homes East Midlands (external link)
- Government Guidance on fire safety (external link)
Contact us
| Officer / Team | Environmental Health Services |
|---|---|
| Postal address | Blaby District Council Council Offices Desford Road Narborough Leicester LE19 2EP |
| E-mail address | env.health@blaby.gov.uk |
| Telephone | 0116 272 7555 |
| Fax | 0116 272 7594 |
If you need this information in other languages or formats (large print, Braille or audio), please let us know when you contact us.
This page was last updated on 29th July 2009
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