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Licensing

The Housing Act 2004 introduced licensing of some categories of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in England and Wales. It is compulsory to licence larger, higher-risk dwellings.

Local authorities are also able to licence other types of HMOs under an additional licensing scheme, if they can establish that other avenues for tackling problems in these properties have been exhausted.

In areas of the country which are subject to low housing demand or significant anti-social behaviour problems local authorities may run a selective licensing scheme under which all privately rented properties, not only HMOs, must be licensed.

Log in for detailed information on:

• Purpose of licensing
• Mandatory HMO licensing
• Additional HMO licensing
• Transitional licensing
• Selective licensing
• Applying for a licence
• Fit and proper person test
• Right of appeal against a local authority's decision
• Licence conditions, costs and duration
• Changing circumstances: varying or revoking a licence
• Offences
• Rent repayment orders
• Properties which cannot be granted a licence
• Temporary exemption from licensing
• Register of licences