This is a free training course on the law relating to Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) that we developed and made available originally in 2019.
It was developed as a free course to illustrate the software used for some of our other training courses (for example our Tenancy Agreements Course) but has proved popular and useful in its own right.
However, as the HMO 101 course was last updated in August 2019 it was getting a bit stale. So I have just checked it over and amended a few parts.
The main change is a short section on Rent Repayment Orders and recent case law, but there have been a few other minor changes.
Who should read it
The HMO 101 course will be important reading for you if you are a landlord (even if you don’t think your property is an HMO) but will also be useful for letting agents and advisers (although if you are an agent or adviser you should already know most of the content).
However many landlords are unaware of the stringent regime regarding HMOs and the expensive penalties that can be incurred if you ignore the rules. For example many landlords:
- Assume that the HMO regime only applies to properties where tenants rent individual rooms in a shared house under separate agreements and do not realise that it also applies where tenants all sign the same agreement
- Assume that if their property does not require an HMO from the Council, it is not, therefore, an HMO at all
- Are ignorant of the HMO Management Regulations
- Assume that HMO licensing does not apply if a property is let under a ‘rent to rent’ arrangement to a tenant subletting to licensees (tip – it does, and also the sublet occupiers are frequently not licensees but tenants).
So if you are a landlord renting to sharers – please read this free guide.
If its contents surprise or worry you, you can find out more on my Landlord Law service or you can book a telephone advice call with one of our solicitors via our HMO Hotline.