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Licensing overview

The Housing Act 2004 introduced mandatory licensing for 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:

• Types of licensing schemes
• Transitional licensing
• Right of appeal against a local authority's decision
• Licence conditions, costs and duration
• Offences
• Management orders
• Rent repayment orders
• Temporary exemption from licensing
• If a licence holder dies
• Register of licences