The grace period ends on Thursday, 6 July and amid concerns that registrations have been low, brokers need to ensure their landlords take the proper steps to comply with the new regulation in time – or face a £20,000 fine.
Landlords who let any of the following types of property may need to apply for a HMO licence from their local authority:
- A house or flat which is let to three or more tenants forming two or more households who share an amenity
- A house which has been converted into bedsits or other non-self-contained accommodation and which is let to three or more tenants forming two or more households who share an amenity
- A converted house which contains one or more flats which are not fully self contained which is occupied by three or more tenants
- A building which is converted entirely into self-contained flats if the conversion did not meeting the standards of the 1991 Building Regulation and more than one third of the flats are let on short-term tenancies.
Nicola Severn, marketing manager at Mortgage Trust, said: “Save your landlord customers £20,000 by making sure they adhere to the new regulation before 6 July. If people are uncertain about what to do, I’d strongly encourage landlords and intermediaries to visit the Mortgage Trust website and download our Guide to HMO Licensing.”
