Tenants whose landlords are breaking this rule could reclaim thousands

Tenants whose landlords are breaking this rule could be entitled to thousands of pounds in compensation or special protection from eviction notices . For many, house shares are a necessary part of renting in London. While the rental landscape can be hard for prospective tenants, it is important that they are aware of their rights when living in rented shared accommodation.

Landlords need to own a House of Multiple Occupancy License if they are letting the house to more than four people who are part of more than two families or households. However, in some circumstances, landlords may not have a HMO license when they are required to do so. If this is the case, tenants could be entitled to a rent repayment of up to 12 months rent - easily taking the amount into the thousands of pounds.



As well as this, a landlord is unable to evict a tenant under a Section 21 Notice who is living in a property which does not have a required HMO license. In more extreme cases, the landlord could even be banned from renting properties or the council may take over managing the property. However, the landlord may be given a temporary exemption by the council which would give them time to meet the required HMO licensing standards or to change the property from a HMO to a family home.

There are other requirements which landlords letting shared accommodation must stick to. In a House of Multiple Occupancy with more than four people living in it, landlords must make sure that there meet certain requirements such as providing enough rubbish bins and regular electric and gas safety checks. As well as this, there are also certain minimum measurement requirements for bedrooms depending on the age of a person.

Maintenance and repairs for shared areas are also the responsibility of landlords if tenants have agreements for separate rooms. In HMOs council tax usually also falls to the responsibility of the landlord. If you share your home with at least four people, the landlord must also provide a written tenancy agreement for tenants.

For more information on the requirements of a landlord letting a shared property you can visit Shelter's website. Got a story? Please get in touch at katherine.gray@reachplc.

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