Guide to licensing houses in multiple occupation (HMOs)

The proposed manager of the house is either:

(i) the person having control of the house; or

(ii) a person who is an agent or employee of the person having control of the house

The proposed manager must also be a fit and proper person and be a member of an approved property redress scheme.

The Council is required by law to be assured that the people involved in the management of a licensed HMO are fit and proper for that purpose. Thus, the Council, in deciding whether a licence should be granted, must have regard to evidence which shows that the proposed licence holder and / or the proposed manager, and any other person associated or formerly associated with them, are fit and proper persons.

The Government have decided that certain convictions preclude a person from being considered ‘fit and proper’ and therefore the Council must take into account any previous unspent convictions for the following matters when deciding whether a proposed licence holder or manager is ‘fit and proper’:

• violence, fraud, sex or drug offences
• Housing or Landlord and Tenant laws
• unlawful discrimination

The proposed licence holder must declare any matters which the Council must have regard to and a basic DBS check will be requested. Previous failures of management of an HMO which have resulted in enforcement action by the Council may preclude the proposed licence holder from holding a licence.