In property licensing and rental regulations, a household refers to a single unit of occupants who live together in a property. It is an important concept for determining whether a property qualifies as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) and whether licensing requirements apply.
Definition of a Household
A household is generally defined as:
A single person living alone.
A family unit living together, including:
Couples (married, civil partners, or cohabiting).
Parents, children, grandparents, step-relatives, and cousins.
Foster parents and foster children.
Domestic staff (such as a live-in nanny or carer) who live in the property as part of the same household.
What Is Not Considered a Household?
If tenants are unrelated and share facilities such as a kitchen, bathroom, or living space, they are not considered a single household. Instead, they are counted as separate households.
For example:
Three friends renting a house together = Three households
A couple and a friend renting a flat together = Two households
A family of four renting a house = One household
Why Does the Definition of a Household Matter?
The number of households in a property determines whether it requires an HMO licence under Mandatory or Additional Licensing rules.
HMO Licensing applies when a property is occupied by multiple separate households (e.g., three or more unrelated tenants in Scotland or Northern Ireland, or five or more in England under Mandatory HMO Licensing).
Selective Licensing applies to all private rented properties in designated areas, regardless of the number of households.
If you are an agent or landlord, understanding the household definition is essential to determine licensing obligations and avoid penalties for non-compliance.