FOI shows how little councils know about unlicensed HMOs
Government plans to protect tenants from poor living conditions through the expansion of mandatory HMO licensing look set to fall way short of their ambition. Figures obtained by Simple Landlords Insurance reveal the majority of local authorities don’t know how many unlicensed HMOs are in their area – let alone where they are – leaving them […]
Tighter regulation makes HMO investment an area for specialists
The Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation Order 2018 came into effect on 1 October, changing which residential properties will be categorised as houses in multiple occupation (HMO) for mandatory licensing purposes. From now on, properties occupied by five or more people, forming two or more separate households, will be classified as HMOs. The Residential Landlords Association […]
Agents told to read small print in local licensing schemes as more fall foul of new rules
Landlords and agents are being increasingly caught out by having to license small shared properties as Houses in Multiple Occupation – only for landlords to be told that they are in breach of their mortgage conditions and are not covered by insurance. Properties that now rank as HMOs requiring licences could be as small as […]
Buy To Let Investor Fined For Incorrect Licensing In Nottingham
A private buy to let investor has been told he must pay almost £6,500 for renting four properties in Nottingham without a license. Rogue landlord Dilip Gohil was prosecuted after his failure to acquire the correct licensing for his houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). This was in spite of the fact that each property boasted […]
Bath Landlords Fined For Operating HMO Without Licence
Two Bath private landlords have been told that they must pay more than £16,000 due to their failure to obtain the correct House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing. Elizabeth Vowles, 48, and Hayley Book, 55, both from Weston pleaded guilty at Bath Magistrates’ Court to their licensing failure, deemed an offence under the Housing Act […]