RentDocs Landlords & Tenants Forum

Talk shop with UK landlords & tenants

Ask questions, share what's working and swap local knowledge. Anyone can read the topics — sign in to see replies and post.

Mandatory, additional and selective licensing schemes.

HMO & LicensingB. N.Bournemouth
5-bed HMO — mandatory licensing renewal costs
£1,400 for 5 years in my council. Feels punitive for a well-run property. Are your councils charging similar and is any of this actually being spent on enforcement?
14 replies23d ago
HMO & LicensingM. C.Cardiff
Bills-inclusive HMO — energy cap hurting margins
Set the rent 8 months ago assuming lower unit rates. Now underwater by ~£40/room/month. Do I eat it until renewal or amend now?
14 replies25d ago
HMO & LicensingP. S.Milton Keynes
One HMO tenant not paying — joint & several or not?
Non-joint tenancies (separate rooms). One tenant 2 months behind. Do I evict just them without disrupting the other 4? Never done it before.
12 replies26d ago
HMO & LicensingD. H.Milton Keynes
Fire door regs on small HMOs — FD30 everywhere?
Refurbishing a 4-bed shared house. Fire officer wants FD30S on every bedroom door plus self-closers. Cost is £2k+. Is this actually required for a non-licensable HMO?
10 replies27d ago
HMO & LicensingMarcus H.Coventry
HMO mandatory licence renewal — 14 week wait and counting
Applied for renewal in good time, council still hasn't inspected. Am I trading unlicensed if the old one lapses before they get to me? Anyone dealt with this in a Midlands authori…
3 replies28d ago
HMO & LicensingD. F. from BirminghamBirmingham
HMO fire door inspection frequency — quarterly overkill?
Council officer suggested quarterly checks on all FD30s. Feels excessive for a 5-bed. What's your cadence?
3 replies29d ago
HMO & LicensingB. Q. from SheffieldSheffield
HMO council tax banding — anyone had rooms rebanded individually?
Council just banded each room in a 5-bed HMO separately. Bills tripled. Fighting it — precedents?
3 replies1mo ago
HMO & LicensingN. B.Coventry
Communal cleaning in student HMOs — who pays?
Charge in the rent or bill separately? Students hate surprise charges but a shared kitchen falls apart within a term without a fortnightly clean.
14 replies1mo ago
HMO & LicensingW. K. from LeedsLeeds
Mandatory HMO licence renewal — 12 week wait normal?
Renewal submitted January, still waiting. Council say backlog. Any legal risk if the old licence lapses mid-application?
3 replies1mo ago
HMO & LicensingTom B.Sheffield
Student HMO summer void — strategies that actually worked
10-week gap between tenancies. Last year I dropped rent and got professionals in, then couldn't get them out in time for September. Anyone cracked the summer void without wrecking…
4 replies1mo ago
HMO & LicensingD. V. from ManchesterManchester
Selective vs Additional licensing — Manchester expansion
New designated areas from September. Anyone in the affected wards prepping applications now?
3 replies2mo ago
HMO & LicensingI. C. from ReadingReading
HMO — mattresses provided or not?
Tenants keep asking me to provide mattresses. Is there any obligation, and if I do, what's the fire regulation on labelling?
7 replies3mo ago
HMO & LicensingI. C. from ReadingReading
5-bed HMO — do I need a fire door on the kitchen?
Refurbishing a 5-bed for licence. Fire officer wants FD30S on the kitchen door with intumescent seals. Original door is solid oak. Do I need to replace or can I upgrade?
4 replies3mo ago
HMO & LicensingM. K. from SwanseaSwansea
Room sizes — 6.51m² is a nightmare
Small box room is 6.51m². Council says minimum for over 10 is 6.51 — so borderline. Anyone had this refused despite being 'on the number'?
6 replies5mo ago
HMO & LicensingT. H. from BangorBangor
Council want an EICR every year for HMO — is that right?
My council's HMO conditions say annual EICR. National guidance says 5 years. Is the council allowed to impose stricter?
6 replies7mo ago
HMO & LicensingI. E. from ReadingReading
Bill-inclusive HMO — energy costs killing margins
Bills-included rents worked when gas was cheap. Now I'm losing money. Anyone moved back to separate meters and how did tenants react?
6 replies7mo ago

Talk shop with UK landlords & tenants

5-bed HMO — mandatory licensing renewal costs

Bills-inclusive HMO — energy cap hurting margins

One HMO tenant not paying — joint & several or not?

Fire door regs on small HMOs — FD30 everywhere?

HMO mandatory licence renewal — 14 week wait and counting

HMO fire door inspection frequency — quarterly overkill?

HMO council tax banding — anyone had rooms rebanded individually?

Communal cleaning in student HMOs — who pays?

Mandatory HMO licence renewal — 12 week wait normal?

Student HMO summer void — strategies that actually worked

Selective vs Additional licensing — Manchester expansion

HMO — mattresses provided or not?

5-bed HMO — do I need a fire door on the kitchen?

Room sizes — 6.51m² is a nightmare

Council want an EICR every year for HMO — is that right?

Bill-inclusive HMO — energy costs killing margins