The recent news of the ‘Leeds Five Generation Rent’ has brought to light the lack of support and awareness in place for landlords, especially in regards to the license for a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).
In this instance, a private landlord was unlawfully renting their property to a multiple of tenants. By not acquiring the HMO licence, the tenants were able to take the landlord to court, demanding full repayment of their rent over the period of time they had lived in the property.
A HMO must be held by any homeowner housing five or more unrelated people who share communal facilities e.g. kitchen with at least one tenant paying rent. This license also ensures the correct safety certificates are being adhered to.
By law, all tenants have the right to ask their local council to check if the property they’re renting currently holds a HMO licence.
It is so important for every landlord to keep up to date with the latest rules and regulations to ensure you don't find yourself in similar situations.
At present, there are currently 327 (!) different sets of legislation in place. We have seen an increase in private landlords asking for our fully managed service support as the Government continues to push forward with changes to the private rental sector.
Our role is to ensure all landlords are updated on regulatory changes, provide full property management service and if needing to seek legal guidance we have a dedicated team able to support you.