HMO
When a house is let to sharing occupants, who are not a family unit, landlords must ensure that the property complies with rules around Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO).
We have a dedicated and experienced team that deal with the House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) market. Our HMO manager has years of experience dealing with mandatory and discretionary HMOs. The HMO market is increasingly regulated, and our staff are suitably qualified to provide advice on the complicated legal requirements to ensure your HMO is compliant and profitable.
We will guide you throughout the process in regard to rental yield, the most profitable areas for HMOs and on your obligations as a landlord. We have years of experience of managing HMOs of all sizes in Norwich and the surrounding areas. We have invested considerable time in negotiating excellent contacts with local fire inspectors, contractors and the council to ensure that you have the best possible service. We also have a dedicated phone line for any managed HMO properties and tenants can contact us 24/7 in respect of emergencies.
In addition to our standard management service, we will undertake the inspections as required by the licence and routinely check that fire escapes are clutter free. Please contact us now to discuss our rates in respect of HMOS and for further information.
Q. What is HMO?
A. A rented property is considered a House in Multiple Occupation if:
A property is occupied by five or more people, forming two or more households, who also share facilities such as the kitchen or bathroom, regardless of the number of storeys the property has.Q. What is a ‘household’?
A. A household is defined as either a single person or members of the same family who live together. A family includes people who are:
• married or living together (including same-sex couples)
• relatives or half-relatives (eg grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings)
• step-parents and step-childrenQ. What are my responsibilities if I let an HMO?
A. As well as all your normal legal responsibilities you must ensure:
• smoke detectors are installed
• electrics are checked every five years
• that the property is not overcrowded (there should be a separate room for sleeping for each couple, each single person over 21, and for every two young people aged over 10 years)
• there are adequate cooking and washing facilities
• communal areas and shared facilities are clean and in good repairQ. What is the minimum room size for sleeping?
A. National minimum room sizes for sleeping will be introduced:
• Minimum 4.64 square metres – one person under 10 years
• Minimum 6.51 square metres – one person over 10 years
• Minimum 10.22 square metres – two people over 10 years
• Any room where the ceiling height is less than 1.5 metres cannot be used towards any minimum room size
You must contact your local council to determine whether you need an HMO licence before you let to tenants. If not, you could risk a fine of up to £20,000.
