Property licensing
Why do we license properties? Property licensing help us to regulate the condition and management of private rented properties in the borough. The council also has to carry out a Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) risk assessment on an HMO within five years of receiving a license application. If the inspector finds any unacceptable risks during the assessment then the landlord will be instructed to carry out works to eliminate them. The landlord must also notify the council if they plan to make changes to an HMO (structural or decorative), if the tenants make changes to the property, or if the tenants' circumstances change (e.g. they have a child). The council must ensure that a licensed HMO is not overcrowded and has suitable shared amenities and facilities for the number of persons occupying it. If there are too many people living in the HMO at the time the license is granted, the landlord must take reasonable steps to reduce the number of occupiers to the