House in multiple occupation (HMO)
A home let to three or more people who form more than one household and share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. HMOs have extra safety rules and often need a licence.
In short: An HMO, defined in section 254 of the Housing Act 2004, is a property occupied by at least three people from more than one household who share basic amenities. A household is a family or a couple; unrelated sharers are separate households. Larger HMOs always need a licence.
英格蘭。 已於 5 October 2026 對照法律查核. 僅供參考，並非法律建議。
Examples: a house shared by three or more friends, or a house let room by room. A family of three is one household, so not an HMO.
What follows if a home is an HMO:
- Mandatory licensing if five or more people from two or more households live there.
- Additional licensing may cover smaller HMOs in some council areas.
- Extra management regulations: fire safety, keeping common parts in repair, displaying the manager's details.
- Planning: some areas need planning permission to turn a house into a small HMO (an Article 4 direction).
Letting an HMO that should be licensed without one is an offence.
Read more: The landlord database, the ombudsman, and licensing: checks you can make
Related: Mandatory HMO licensing, Additional licensing
資料來源
Guides on this
Guide
Do I need a licence to let my property? HMO, additional and selective licensing
Five or more people from two or more households need a mandatory HMO licence. Your council may also license smaller HMOs, or every let in an area. How to check, and what happens without one.
Guide
The landlord database and ombudsman: when you must register
The Private Rented Sector Database opens region by region from 15 December 2026, and the landlord ombudsman follows. Every landlord in England will need an entry for each property before letting or advertising it.
Related terms
Glossary
Additional licensing
A council scheme that requires licences for smaller HMOs, below the mandatory threshold, in a designated area.
Glossary
Civil penalty
A fine a council can impose on a landlord or agent instead of prosecuting, for breaches of housing law such as letting an unlicensed HMO or ignoring an improvement notice.
Glossary
Mandatory HMO licensing
The national rule that any HMO occupied by five or more people forming two or more households needs a licence from the council.
Glossary
Private Rented Sector Database (PRS Database)
The national register every private landlord in England, and each home they let, must join. It opens by region from 15 December 2026; all by 14 November 2027.
Glossary
Rent repayment order (RRO)
An order of the First-tier Tribunal that a landlord repay rent to a tenant, or benefits to the council, because the landlord committed certain housing offences.
Glossary
Selective licensing
A council scheme requiring a licence for privately rented homes in a designated area, including homes let to a single household.