Houses in multiple occupancy

HMO licence guidance

Changes to HMO licence conditions from 1st October 2018

From 1st October 2018, the licensing conditions for houses in multiple occupancy are changing. This means that:

  • the storey-height criteria will no longer apply
  • any property with five or more people who form unrelated households, and share amenities such as a kitchen or bathroom, must have an HMO licence. Find out more about the new legislation.

New regulations have also been added which state that minimum bedroom floor sizes must be as follows:

  • for a child under 10 years of age - 4.64m²
  • for any single person over 10 years of age - 6.51m²
  • for two people - 10.22m²

Landlords must also provide facilities where tenants can store waste while waiting for scheduled council refuse collections. Find out more about the new regulations.

Guidance documents

If you rent rooms in a multiple occupancy home the property must meet the required health, safety and welfare standards for tenants.

Government guidance 

Help and advice

We can only provide advice and guidance over the phone at the moment. The charge for this service is £81.30 per hour - the minimum appointment length is two hours.

Please contact hmo.licensing@liverpool.gov.uk to arrange an appointment. Do not delay making an application for a licence while waiting for this service.