One of the main things you’ll need to look into when letting your property in London (2nd on the list – here: What To Think About Before Letting Your Property – LMA Property) are the various Council licences which are in place.
Firstly – which Council borough is your property in?
If you don’t know then you can enter your postcode to find out for sure, here: Find your local council – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
HMO?
The general rule across the UK relating to ‘HMOs’ or Houses of Multiple Occupancy is that if your property is (likely to be) let to more than 3 tenants forming more than 1 ‘household*’ and the facilities are shared (eg they are not self contained units with their own kitchens/bathrooms) then you will need an HMO licence. If that number goes above 5 tenants then it is deemed a ‘large HMO’.
However! Don’t only think big…
Landlords often think that licences only applies to large properties, and so often miss vital information by not even looking on the Council website. But Council boroughs such as our very own – London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham – operate what are known as ‘selective licences.’ That is, for properties on certain streets in the borough (eg Fulham Road, Dawes Road, King Street) – typically roads with shops and flats above those shops, though not always – a licence is needed regardless of it’s size and so yes, even if you have a 1 bedroom flat you need to licence it.
Mistakes can be costly
Failure to licence your property can result in hefty fines, and ignorance of the law is no excuse, you will still be punished. The licence will require you to have certain standards in place, but in reality they are only things you should be doing anyway (and under our watch we’d expect you to do as a Landlord – eg fire safety).
As designated ‘competent people’ and a fully registered agency we can help you fill out the forms, get any works done which are needed, and even be noted as the licence holder on your behalf.
*Households are deemed as families living together such as married or cohabiting partners, relatives or half-relatives, and step-parents and step-children
