HMOs pay the highest yields in UK residential property and carry the heaviest regulatory load. We manage licensing, room-by-room letting, fire safety and communal upkeep so the yield survives contact with the rules.
For a home let to a single household rather than room by room, see our buy-to-let property management service. The management and licensing checks should match the actual occupancy.
HMO licensing
Mandatory licensing
Required across England for any house in multiple occupation with five or more occupiers forming two or more households sharing a facility, regardless of storeys. Managing an unlicensed HMO risks an unlimited fine, a rent repayment order of up to 12 months rent, and, for tenancies in England, weaker possession options under Section 8 (no-fault Section 21 ended on 1 May 2026).
Additional and selective licensing
Many London boroughs run additional HMO licensing catching three and four occupier properties, plus selective licensing across designated wards. Schemes and boundaries change on their own timetables — we check the current designation for the specific address before letting begins and diarise renewal dates.
Planning: the Article 4 trap
A change from C3 (dwellinghouse) to C4 (small HMO) is permitted development nationally, but a large number of London boroughs have removed that right by Article 4 direction, making full planning permission necessary. Buying a property to convert without checking this is the most expensive mistake in the sector.
Compliance we run for you
- Fire risk assessment, interlinked alarm system, emergency lighting and fire door checks
- Annual gas safety (CP12), five-yearly EICR and PAT testing of supplied appliances
- HHSRS hazard review and room size compliance against licence conditions
- Waste and recycling arrangements that meet licence conditions
- Right to rent checks and deposit protection for every occupier
Room letting and occupancy
Voids kill HMO returns faster than anything else. We market rooms individually across the platforms sharers actually use, reference and vet for compatibility, stagger tenancy end dates to avoid a whole-house void, and manage the turnaround so a room is re-let in days, not weeks.
Communal management
Scheduled communal cleaning, garden and bin management, consumables, a fast repairs route for shared facilities, and mediation of the noise, cleaning and guest disputes that arise in every shared house.
Reporting
Monthly statement per room, occupancy and void tracking, maintenance spend against budget, and a live compliance dashboard showing every certificate and licence with its expiry date.
Get a quote
Send the address and the number of lettable rooms. We will confirm the licensing position for that borough and quote a fixed management fee.