What is Involved in HMO Property Inspections?
Updated: 31st December 2024 If you are looking to obtain your HMO licence, a property inspection is an inevitable part of the licence application process. Before issuing your licence, the Council has a duty to assess HMOs to ensure they meet fire and amenity standards. They also must check that there are no hazards under the Housing Health & Safety Rating System (HHSRS) that could impact tenants. Councils are also authorised to carry out routine inspections of your HMO, and can require that you carry out monthly or quarterly inspections yourself to ensure standards are maintained and to remedy any issues that can arise. In a property inspection for an HMO (House in Multiple Occupation), there are a few things that typically happen. We’ve compiled a full HMO property inspection checklist to help prepare you for your inspection and cover everything you’ll need to know. HMO Licence Inspection Checklist We’ve pulled together the below handy checklist for HMO property inspections that are typically covered during the inspection process for your HMO licence. Do I need an HMO licence? Landlords must acquire an HMO licence to rent out certain types of HMO properties, as mandated by UK law. This licence ensures that the properties comply with standards set by local councils to safeguard the safety and wellbeing of HMO occupants. Failing to secure a required HMO licence can lead to serious consequences for landlords. Therefore, it’s essential to understand when an HMO licence is necessary and what criteria must be met to obtain one. If your property has 5 or more occupants from two or more households who share facilities such as the kitchen or bathroom, you must obtain an Mandatory HMO Licence regardless of where your property is in England or Wales. This applies to any HMOs that are considered Large HMOs or Sui Generis. If your property houses 3 or 4 occupants, this means that your property is legally an HMO. However, you are not required to obtain a Mandatory HMO Licence. Some local authorities have implemented an Additional HMO Licence scheme which means landlords will be required to apply for these. In some local areas, regardless of whether your property is legally an HMO or not, you may not need to obtain any kind of HMO Licence, but may still need to apply for a Selective Licence. Read our full article on HMO licence requirements. Carrying Out Your Own HMO Property Inspections Once you have obtained your HMO licence, it’s recommended that you continue to carry out HMO property inspections at regular intervals to ensure that the quality of the space isn’t falling by the wayside. This is particularly important for shared areas such as living spaces and kitchens where damage or safety issues are more likely to happen. HMO Inspection Checklists Templates from Local Councils To help you even further in planning for your HMO inspection, we have pulled together some examples of checklists provided by local councils for conducting your own HMO property inspections. Bath & North East Somerset Council An extensive HMO inspection checklist can be found on the bathnes.gov.uk website by visiting their checklist document. This is a comprehensive checklist that can be used by both landlords and council inspectors, and covers everything from fire alarm testing to document checks. Oxford City Council The Oxford council also offers a downloadable HMO checklist that landlords can use when inspecting their property. This checklist covers all the key rooms in the property and checks that should be made, including general structural and maintenance observations. Stoke-on-Trent City Council Stoke-on-Trent city council has a simple HMO checklist that you can use to carry out routine HMO property inspections. As always, it’s best to check the local requirements in your local area and obtain checklists from them for the most comprehensive and relevant checks for your area.