Whether you are a property investor, manager or letting agent, this guide is packed with information about planning and licensing regulations for houses in multiple occupation (HMO) that came in to force on April 6, 2010.

The regulations mean any landlord renting a new shared home to three or more unrelated tenants needs planning permission from the local council and an HMO licence.

The problem is even the government admits councils don’t know how to apply the rules and there’s little or reliable official guidance available.

This guide fills the gap by explaining the new HMO planning and licensing guidelines and reveals information about costly gaffes and errors councils have made at the expense of property investors, like:

• Revealing the secret database councils keep to rate HMO managers
• How councils have made mistakes in enforcing the rules that have cost taxpayers and property investors thousands
• How to appeal over onerous licensing conditions.

This is the only professional planning and licensing guide written from the perspective of professional HMO property investors covering:

• How new HMO laws affect property investors letting shared houses to three or more tenants:
• Discovering if your shared house is an HMO
• Planning permission for HMOs
• HMO licensing
• Finding out how councils abuse their HMO powers
• Understanding your rights to appeal about poor council HMO decisions

Author: Steve Sims

Published: Yardleystar Property -  April 2010