What about Non-Licensable HMOs?
A non-Licensable HMO is when the property has 3 or 4 people in the property that are sharing facilities. You would still be a HMO but you just would not be licensable. However, if you are in the West Bromwich area then you may still need to apply for a licence even if there are only 3 or 4 people living there. This is because we are implementing Additional Licensing into this area. For more information on this and to see whether your property is affected or not, please visit our Additional Licensing page.
Landlords of non-Licensable HMO’s are encouraged to follow advice given in the space and Amenity Standards (weblink below) as a code of good practice. This is to lessen the possibility of any enforcement action being taken under Section 234 of the Housing Act 2004.
Any properties that are not required to have a Licence must still abide to The Management Regulations and Fire Safety Regulations, weblinks below. Again, if you do not incorporate these Regulations into your management of the property then you can be faced with a fine up to £1000 per breach of any Regulation.