Common Property Licensing Questions
FAQs and explanations of property licensing laws
14 articles
👨👩👧👦 Do Children Count Towards HMO Licensing Requirements?When calculating whether a property meets the criteria for an HMO license, it's important to understand how tenants, households, and child...
What Happens if I Don’t Get the Correct Property Licence?Failing to obtain the correct Selective, Additional, or Mandatory HMO licence for a rental property can lead to serious financial and lega...
What is a property licensing consultation?A property licensing consultation is a process where a local council seeks feedback from landlords, letting agents, tenants, and other sta...
Does Property Licensing apply to Scotland and Northern Ireland?Property licensing, as it operates in England and Wales, does not apply in the same way in Scotland and Northern Ireland. However, both na...
How do you get/apply for a licence?Contact your council's housing department or visit their website for application details. You'll typically need to submit an application f...
What is a Rent Repayment Order?A Rent Repayment Order (RRO) is a legal mechanism in the UK that allows tenants, or local authorities, to reclaim rent that has been paid ...
What is Additional licensing?Additional licensing is a property licensing scheme introduced by local councils to regulate smaller Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) ...
Why do you need a licence on a property?A property licence is a legal requirement that demonstrates the property is suitable for occupation and managed to an acceptable standard....
What is Mandatory licensing?Mandatory licensing is a legal requirement for landlords who rent out large Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in England and Wales. It ...
What is Selective licensing?Selective licensing is a regulatory tool that allows local councils in England to require all private landlords within a designated area t...
What is property licensing?Property licensing is a legal requirement that landlords must comply with in certain areas to ensure rental properties meet safety, manage...
What is a household?In property licensing and rental regulations, a household refers to a single unit of occupants who live together in a property. It is an i...
What is an HMO?An HMO is a house in multiple occupancy: a property rented by at least 3 people who are not from one household and share facilities such a...
Who needs to apply for a property licence?The person responsible for applying for a property licence is the landlord or, in some cases, the property manager or agent acting on thei...