Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's aim is to ensure that all properties which are Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) are safe for the number of occupiers.
What is a HMO?
A house in multiple occupation (HMO) can be any building or a part of a building used for living accommodation by more than two people who are not part of the same family, where they occupy the property as their only or main residence, where they share one or more basic amenities and they pay rent for their accommodation. The full definition of an HMO is contained in sections 254 - 260 of the Housing Act 2004.
In general terms, a house in multiple occupation (HMO) can be any one of the following:
• A shared house lived in by people who belong to more than one family sharing one or more basic amenities, such as a toilet, personal washing facilities and cooking facilities.
• A house in bedsits lived in by people who belong to more than one family sharing one or more basic amenities.
• An individual flat lived in by people who belong to more than one family sharing one or more basic amenities.
To be of the same family, the occupants must be married to each other, live together as husband and wife, live together in a same sex relationship, or be related to each other, such as a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece or cousin.
When does a HMO require a license?
To require a license, the HMO must:
• be three or more storey’s high, and
• have five or more people in residence, forming more than one household
• storeys include basements and attics if they are occupied (including by a resident landlord), have been converted for occupation, or which are in use in connection with the occupation of the HMO. Commercial premises on the ground or any upper floor will also be included in the calculation of number of storeys, but not basements in purely commercial use.
Additional information
Houses in multiple occupation - planning control. From July 2012 planning permission will be needed in some areas of the borough to control the conversion of houses to ‘houses in multiple occupation’. This follows the introduction of an Article 4 Direction, which comes into force from 22 July 2012.
You can download a copy of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's 2009 HMO Standards which apply to all HMOs within the borough below.
For additional information for landlords in relation to the management of HMOs you can download a copy of our mandatory guidance notes.
For details of the legislation regarding the management of HMOs please read:
The Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions)(England) Regulations 2006’ available on legistation.gov.uk.
For more information please contact the Housing Standards Team on 01256 845331 or via email to housing@basingstoke.gov.uk.
