Houses in Multiple Occupation
This page provides information about Houses in Multiple Occupation which are properties occupied by unrelated individuals sharing amenities such as kitchens, bathrooms and toilets.
The private sector housing team work to ensure the safety of HMOs in the same way that they work with all kinds of rented accommodation using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
What is a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)?
It can be a shared house or flat
When 3 or more tenants (in at least 2 households*) rent a whole house and share the kitchen and/or bathroom and/or toilet it is an HMO. NB where the landlord is resident then it only becomes an HMO when there are 3 tenants in addition to the landlord and his family.
It can be a house that has been converted to contain bedsits or bedrooms
Where there are 3 or more tenants (in at least 2 households*), each household rents a room or bedsit and shares a kitchen and/or bathroom and/or toilet with the others then it is an HMO
It can be a house that has been converted to contain some bedsits or bedrooms and some self contained flats
Where there are 3 or more tenants (in at least 2 households*) in the non self contained accommodation only and each of these households rents a room or bedsit and shares a kitchen and/or bathroom and/or toilet with others it is an HMO.
A converted house containing all self contained flats
In certain circumstances an HMO can also sometimes be a converted house containing all self contained flats
This is only the case where the building has not been converted to the standard required by the 1991 Building Regulations and when more than a third of the flats are let on short term tenancies (that is terms granted for less than 21 years).
This type of HMO is called a Converted Block of flats and is sometimes also known as a section 257 HMO.
Such HMOs are subject to different regulations to those listed above.
*Household means
A single person, a co-habiting couple (irrespective of sex) or members of the same family.
Exemptions
Some properties are exempt from being classed as HMOs for example properties of the types described above but owned by Public Sector Bodies, Housing Associations, the Health Service and the Police.
For more detail please download our leaflet:
Last updated : 21/12/2011
