Liverpool City Council Mandatory HMO licensing

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Housing Act 2004 - Mandatory Licensing

From 6th April 2006, the Housing Act 2004 requires that some rented properties need to be licensed. The government has therefore introduced Mandatory Licensing, a scheme to be applied across the whole of the country. It requires larger houses in multiple occupation (where many unrelated people live) to be licensed.

New definition of a house in multiple occupation:

Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) have been redefined by the Housing Act 2004. HMOs which need to have a licence are those where there are:

five or more tenants, forming two or more households. They use shared facilities such as toilets, bathrooms, kitchens and so on; and
the property has three or more floors. This will include cellars, basements and loft conversions.

The Government allows councils to introduce other types of licensing, which could require other types of property to be licensed. There has to be a reason for this being done. An example is that there may be antisocial behaviour problems.

Why licensing has been introduced

Licensing has been brought in to improve management and standards in these types of buildings. This is because in such houses there are greater risks of fire; and problems of people having to share facilities.

According to figures, HMOs have some of the worst living standards with the poorest people living in them. Licensing is a way to reduce these problems.

It also recognises landlords whose buildings are in very good condition.

If you think your property may need to be licensed, or you need any advice, please ring Liverpool Direct on 0151 233 3018.

Documents you may need:

Pre-application questionnaire
This will help you to work out if you need to apply or not. Download the pre-application questionnaire.
Licensing Application Form
You can download a copy of the application form here. This application form is for a first licence on a property. If you already hold a licence for a property you will be contacted when the existing licence is due for renewal. You should not use this application form for a licence renewal.
HMO Standards

Information Sheet 1 - Bedsits/Shared Houses
Information Sheet 2 - Flats
Information Sheet 3 - Bed and Breakfast
Information Sheet 4 - Management

The HMO Standards above are provided as guidance only and are subject to variations with changes in legislation. In all cases, advice should be sought from the Council.