Keys

HMOs: what you need to know

According to the Government's website, the definition of a House in Multiple Occupation — HMO for short — is, “if you let (or plan to let) to at least three tenants who form more than one household and who share (or will share) toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities”. Put simply, if you're renting a property out to three or more tenants who are not members of the same family, it is... Read more

Posted by Simon @ Upad on April 13th, 2012 in Buy-to-let, HMOs, Property Investment, Tips for New Landlords

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Bankruptcy saves landlord from £62,500 fine

A Cornish landlord, convicted of 13 separate offences against HMO legislation, has avoided a £62,500 fine because of her impending bankruptcy. The Newquay property is being repossessed, but its owner has still been found guilty of failing to provide various safety features in the property, including fire alarms, fire doors and emergency escape lighting. She also failed to supply certification... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on January 27th, 2011 in HMOs, Landlord Legislation

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Brighton landlord fined £2000 for unlicensed HMO

A landlord in Brighton has been fined £2000 plus costs of £750 after pleading guilty to failing to register an HMO. Brighton Magistrates Court found Warwick Armsby-Ward guilty of letting an unlicensed property to five tenants. HMO licenses cost £640 in Brighton and Hove and last up to five years. More than 800 landlords have signed up and licensed HMOs (a house in multiple occupation) in the... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on September 29th, 2010 in HMOs, Landlord Legislation

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Landlord fined £20,000 for unlicensed HMO

A Fulham landlord has been fined £20,000 for operating an unlicensed HMO. Rizwan Ahmed has already been ordered to repay £37,000 in housing benefit to Hammersmith & Fulham Council, as he failed to obtain the necessary license for the 9-bedroom property in Fulham Road. A report on the property said that its fire alarms and fire doors did not meet the necessary standards, and that the... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on September 20th, 2010 in HMOs, Landlord Legislation

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Councils to decide HMO regulation

The Housing Minister has announced that local authorities are to be given the power to decide whether Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) will require planning permission. Currently, landlords have to apply for planning permission when turning any property into an HMO: the Minister has said that relaxing this requirement could cut 8,500 applications from the system. Grant Shapps said:... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on September 7th, 2010 in HMOs, Landlord Legislation

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HMO chaos is bad for landlords and tenants

We’re dismayed by the chaos and uncertainty that currently surrounds the licensing of HMOs by local authorities. Currently, planning approval is required to change the use of a property where 3 – 6 unrelated people share basic amenities. The government has indicated that they may change this, allowing individual authorities to decide their own rules. The government is currently consulting on... Read more

Posted by Dan @ Upad on August 27th, 2010 in HMOs, Property Rental

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Are you running an HMO without realising it?

How many rooms do you have in your rental property? How many people are living there? Could you be at risk of being targeted by local government's current crackdown on unlicensed HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation)? HMOs can be a serious pitfall for landlords, with the potential to cost you large sums of money in penalties and litigation. A couple of recent news items have reminded us how... Read more

Posted by Joel @ Upad on August 18th, 2010 in HMOs

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Landlord fined for failing to maintain HMO

A Carmarthenshire landlord has been fined £2,000 for failing to comply with the terms of an improvement notice served on his HMO. After several complaints from tenants, council environmental health officers carried out a full inspection of the property under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. They found numerous problems with the accommodation, including issues with fire safety, damp,... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on January 31st, 2010 in HMOs, Landlord Legislation, Legal, Property Rental

Quizzical

When does my tenant’s guest become an extra tenant?

Most landlords will happily allow their tenants to have overnight guests now and again. But what if that guest stays on – a week, a month, or indefinitely? Is there any need to worry, and if so, what can be done about it? There is one compelling reason to try to regularise the situation and get both tenant and guest to sign a new contract which names them both. In a joint Assured Shorthold... Read more

Posted by Sue @ Upad on December 11th, 2009 in HMOs, Landlord Legislation, Legal, Property Management

London council prosecutes landlord of unregistered HMO

Camden Council has prosecuted two companies and their director for running an unlicensed HMO property which posed a fire risk to tenants. The two companies and their director were fined a total of £32,400 for failing to license the Swiss Cottage property as an HMO as well as eight offences relating to fire precautions and three other management offences. The case is believed to be the first... Read more

Posted by James @ Upad on October 13th, 2009 in HMOs, Legal

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Why would anyone buy an HMO?

On Monday, I returned to the subject of the Government’s new proposals to limit the numbers of HMOs in one area, and to change the definition to only allow three unrelated persons in a single property.  Quite rightly there has been uproar from landlords who can see costly planning permission being required on already-owned properties, and from groups such as the National Landlords... Read more

Posted by James @ Upad on August 21st, 2009 in HMOs, Property Rental

Tensions rise over HMO proposals

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the Government proposals to reduce the number of “unrelated” persons in a rented property before it legally becomes an HMO (House of Multiple Occupancy) to just three, from six. Ministers have argued that a clamp-down is required because of a rise in complaints about litter, noise and anti-social behaviour, and the solution is to break up HMO... Read more

Posted by James @ Upad on August 18th, 2009 in HMOs, Legal, Property Rental

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A worrying move for landlords and tenants

New government proposals could put many so-called “accidental landlords” into a difficult financial situation. In an attempt to address the impact of pockets of student accommodation that emerge in certain areas, the government has put forward their “proposals to redefine houses in multiple occupancy (HMOs)”. At present, an HMO is defined as a property occupied by six or more... Read more

Posted by James @ Upad on August 3rd, 2009 in HMOs, Property Rental

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