Published: Wednesday 20th June 2018 | 11.48am
From 1 April 2018 landlords who own or manage properties occupied by five or more people and form two or more households, now need to apply for a licence.
From 1 October landlords could risk prosecution or a civil penalty for failure to licence, if their properties are occupied by five people or more who are not related and share kitchens and / or bathrooms.
Licensable HMO’s (Houses of Multiple Occupancy) are properties which are occupied by five or more people and form two or more households. This new rule means that all properties meeting the requirement will now come within the Mandatory Licensing regime with a possible maximum penalty of £30,000 for failure to licence. Previously only HMO’s with three or more storey’s required a licence.
The new regulations include a fee of £590 which is charged for a 3 to 5 year period. Failure to comply with the new HMO management regulation could result in a civil penalty of up to £30k per offence or prosecution.
Councillor John Preece, Portfolio Leader for Environment said “I would urge any private landlords in the Cannock Chase District not to ignore the new licensing rules as the penalty can be anything up to £30,000 per offence, or you could face prosecution. If you are a private landlord that lets a house of multiple occupancy, please contact our Private Sector Housing Team for help and advice.
Cannock Chase Council’s Private Sector Housing Team are working with landlords to meet licensing requirements. For more information call the Private Sector Housing Team on (01543) 462621 or email: privatesectorhousing@cannockchasedc.gov.uk