LANDLORDS of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) should be aware of proposed changes to the licensing requirements due to come into force in 2016.

Designed to clamp down on landlords who fail to maintain HMO properties adequately and consequently create dangerous accommodation and overcrowding, non-compliance with the new rules could result in landlords facing criminal convictions as well as fines of up to £20,000.

Richard Smale, of Bruton Knowles, is conscious that landlords may not be fully aware of the pending changes and could get caught out, should the new rules come into force.

It is probably not widely appreciated that an HMO is a property occupied by at least three people from more than one household who share facilities such as a bathroom and kitchen.

Examples include a house which has been converted into self-contained flats, where either the building does not comply with Building Regulations or one of the flats has a shared facility beyond the flat entrance door.

Currently there are two types of HMO licensing – mandatory licensing and additional licensing. Mandatory licensing applies to all HMOs, which have three or more storeys and occupied by five or more persons, forming two or more households.

The Government now plans to introduce changes to HMO mandatory licensing requirements.

The proposals will include extending mandatory licensing to two storey buildings and potentially, single storey properties converted into flats, which are not compliant with Building Regulations. One other potential change could include a minimum bedroom size.

Richard said: “The Government recognises that managing HMOs can be demanding due to unrelated people living together with varying expectations on living standards. However, there are also landlords who fail to maintain HMO properties adequately, which can lead to overcrowding.

“Common problems found in HMOs are poor fire precautions, poor lighting and dangerous stairs, which is the sort of practice that the Government wants to clamp down on.

“Ultimately the most important consideration is to make sure the properties are safe and fit for people to live in.”