Houses in multiple occupation
This page provides an overview of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) within Sunderland.
What are HMOs?
Houses in multiple occupation (known as HMOs) are classed as this if:
- There are three or more tenants
- There are two or more households living there, i.e. the occupants are not related to each other
- The tenants share some basic amenities such as a kitchen, bathroom or toilet
- The property is the only or main residence for all the occupants
- The property is not used for any other purpose
- Rents are paid for occupation or there is some other form of consideration e.g. accommodation is provided as part of employment etc
There are other types of HMO and some exceptions to the definition above. All HMOs must comply with the law. More information on both of these things can be found in the 'legislation' section below.
Some regulations apply to all HMOs to ensure that tenants do not live in unsafe or overcrowded accommodation.
Problems and complaints about HMOs
We will investigate concerns of poor housing conditions in HMOs and may take legal action against landlords if the problems are serious enough, further information can be found in our Private sector housing enforcement policy.
If you are a resident of a HMO, a member of the public, or a landlord of an HMO you can use the HMO Management online form to report or request the following:
- HMO - Dirty (internal conditions) - aimed at residents of a HMO and the common parts they share, such as kitchens bathrooms and hallways
- HMO - Fire precautions (and concerns) - this is aimed at concerns residents may have regarding fire safety in the dwelling, such as alarms not working, broken or missing fire doors, and obstructions to escape routes
- HMO - General enquiry (about a HMO) - this may be from a member of the public, a landlord or tenant and their query is not covered by any other option
- HMO - Licensing advice (about a HMO application) - this is aimed at HMO licence holders and their managers who may have a query about the licencing process
- HMO - Management (concerns how a HMO is being managed) - this is aimed at tenants and members of the public who have concerns about how a HMO is being managed, such as frequency of landlord visits and to ensure that a property is well maintained and kept safe, or activities of the tenants impacting upon the community
- HMO - Overcrowding (of a HMO) - this is aimed at residents who are sharing amenities with too many people - please see HMO standards - guidance for landlords
- HMO - Suspected unlicensed (allegation that a property does not have a licence and requires on)
Matters can also be reported to Home and Money Team who can help you by completing the online form on your behalf.
Licences for HMOs
You must have a licence for a HMO if five or more people are living in two or more households within:
- a building
- a converted flat
- purpose built flats (with up to two flats in the block, and any of which are occupied as a HMO)
You may also need planning permission. If you require information about this please see our Planning section.
Applying for an HMO Licence steps to follow
To apply for a new licence:
- Read the application guidance
- Locate copies of the required documents for the property to upload with your application, please ensure that the correct documents are uploaded, and make sure that any measurements are in the correct format
- Have a credit or debit card to hand, as you will need to pay a fee
- It can take up to 60 minutes to complete (do not worry if you are unable to complete in one go, as you can save and return to it later)
- If your application is successful the HMO licence holder, their address and appointed manager and address (if applicable) will be displayed in the HMO public register which is held at City Hall and can be inspected by members of the public by appointment. Please see the 'Information on current HMOs' section below for details about appointments
Please note that a HMO licence is non-transferable. Should a property which had an existing license be sold, the new owner or most appropriate person will need to make a "New" application to the council to have a licence. The licence cannot be renewed. Licence holders can make notification to the council to arrange for new managers of the HMO to be appointed, provided the notification is in writing, compliant with any condition imposed by the current HMO licence and the proposed new manager has successfully completed the Fit and Proper Persons Notification form.
Please note that the application will not be available on the 16th October 2024 from 07:00 until approximately 14:00 and then again unavailable from 17:00 on Saturday 26th October until approximately 14:00 on Sunday 27th October due to planned maintenance of the system.
Renew an existing licence
You will need to input the reference number which was provided in your renewal letter inviting you to renew your licence. You can only renew a licence prior to the expiry of the licence. If the licence has expired and you have failed to renew the licence you need to apply for a HMO licence. It is the licence holders responsibility to ensure that a licence is renewed in advance of it expiry and that the application is valid.
Please note that a HMO licence is non-transferable. Should a property which had an existing license be sold, the new owner or most appropriate person will need to make a "New" application to the council to have a licence. The licence cannot be renewed. Licence holders can make notification to the council to arrange for new managers of the HMO to be appointed, provided the notification is in writing, compliant with any condition imposed by the current HMO licence and the proposed new manager has successfully completed the Fit and Proper Persons Notification form.
Please note that the application will not be available on the 16th October 2024 from 07:00 until approximately 14:00 and then again unavailable from 17:00 on Saturday 26th October until approximately 14:00 on Sunday 27th October due to planned maintenance of the system.
HMO Licensing Privacy Notice
Sunderland City Council complies with the Data Protection Act and UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as a Data Controller. The HMO Licensing Privacy Notice explains how personal information is going to be used, what for, who it will be shared with and why.
The following list of eight items expand to give you further information about HMO licencing: