The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have recently introduced new guidelines for HMO landlords (Houses in Multiple Occupation) which will come into force on 1 October 2018. The rules are aimed at improving the standard of multiple occupancy housing stock.
So what is changing? Well, first of all, whereas previously HMO Landlords were classified as being property of three stories occupied by 5 or more people from two or more households. From 1 October, the three storey requirement will be dropped. This is likely to bring another 177,000 people under its regulation.
This new legislation will require landlords of qualifying property apply for a licence from their Local Authority and this licence can be selectively allocated to allow for the exclusion of ‘fit and proper persons’.
The new regulations state that single bedrooms must be at least 6.51 square metres and double bedrooms must be a minimum size of 10.22 square metres. For children under the age of 10 a single bedroom has to be a minimum size of 4.64 square metres. Landlords will be required to notify the local housing authority if their property has any room that is below this size.
For further details of the responsibilities of Landlords renting out HMO accommodation go to the Government’s website here.
Related articles:
Download our Free First Time Buyers Guide
Recent posts
Skipton Building Society launches ‘Delayed Start’ mortgage meaning first time buyers won’t be required to make repayments for the first three months.
According to a survey by Skipton, first time buyers who bought their home in the last five years found that in the first three months of living there, they were spending upwards of £30,000.
Gardening Tips for Beginners
5 days ago
If you have recently moved into a property with a garden that requires a little TLC, or you’d like to get on top of your current green space, check out our tips.
The Family-Backed Mortgage from NatWest
8 days ago
High street lender, NatWest, have launched a new product to help first-time buyers purchase a property with assistance from a family member or friend to get them on the property ladder sooner.
‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ (BNPL) schemes, such as ‘Klarna’ are short-term loans that allow shoppers to make a purchase, but delay paying for it for an agreed amount of time.
Klarna is one of the most popular BNPL services with 18 million customers in the UK alone, and offers interest-free payment options which is appealing to shoppers. However, does it affect a mortgage application?
Buy to Let mortgages: what's happening?
14 days ago
We look at how to get the best Buy to Let mortgage rate, what's in store going forward, and options as a landlord with increasing costs.
UK mortgage rates following Trump’s Tariffs
23 days ago
Throughout this past week, lenders have continued to reduce their mortgage rates giving borrowers in the UK some welcome news following the change in global tariffs under US President, Donald Trump.
Effective ways to relieve stress
23 days ago
Did you know that buying a house, or relocating is in the top 10 most stressful life events?
Stress of course is an unavoidable part of life and there are many reasons why people experience stress, not just buying a house!
There are lots of effective ways to manage and reduce stress, check out our tips to help you.
With the stamp duty relief ending in England and Northern Ireland, we have listed the top 10 cheapest areas for first-time buyers as published by Rightmove.
More information
Trusted by
