HMO & property licensing
HMOs, without the headache.
Single let to HMO is where much of the yield sits, and where most of the regulation sits too. We tell you which licensing regime applies to your exact address before you commit to anything.
What we help with
Every obligation, navigated.
Managing an HMO brings extra licensing, safety and property obligations. Our specialist team helps you understand and navigate every one of them, whether you own a portfolio, are buying your first investment, or are converting a property into an HMO.
- HMO licence requirements, applications & renewals
- Selective licensing requirements
- Property preparation for licensing
- Safety & compliance requirements
- Works co-ordinated to bring a property up to standard
The three regimes
They stack, and that is the catch.
Landlords rarely get caught out by mandatory licensing. They get caught out by the local designations sitting underneath it.
Mandatory HMO licensing
Applies across England to any HMO occupied by five or more people forming two or more households. The old three-storey condition was removed in 2018, so a five-person HMO in a two-storey terrace needs a licence just the same.
Additional licensing
A council can extend licensing to smaller HMOs, typically three or four occupants, in areas it designates. Manchester and Salford have both used these powers.
Selective licensing
The one that surprises people. In a designated area every private rented property needs a licence, including a single-family let. Designations are made ward by ward and they expire and get renewed.
Operating without a licence you need is a criminal offence. A council can issue a civil penalty of up to £40,000 (raised from £30,000 on 1 May 2026), and the tenants or the council can apply for a Rent Repayment Order of up to two years’ rent.
Licensing
Not sure which regime applies to your address?
Tell us the postcode and we will check the designations and tell you plainly before anything is committed.