HMO licensing in Manchester: a checklist for student landlords
If five or more students from more than one household share your house, it needs a licence from Manchester City Council. Here is what the council expects, and what happens if it is missing.
Does your house need a licence?
Mandatory licensing applies across England to any HMO with five or more people from two or more households sharing a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. Some Manchester wards also run selective licensing schemes on top of this, so check the council's current schemes for your street rather than assuming.
What the council looks at
- Room sizes: at least 6.51 square metres for a single bedroom and 10.22 for a double, measured as usable floor space.
- Kitchen and bathroom facilities in proportion to the number of occupants.
- Fire precautions: a fire risk assessment, detection, fire doors and a safe escape route.
- A current gas safety record and electrical installation report.
- A manager who is a 'fit and proper person', with proper arrangements for repairs and tenant contact.
- A floor plan and the maximum number of occupants you are applying for.
How long it lasts and what it costs
A licence normally runs for up to five years and has to be renewed before it expires. Fees are set by the council and depend on the size of the house. We apply, respond to the council's questions and diarise the renewal for the houses we manage.
If it is missing
Letting a licensable HMO without a licence is an offence. The council can prosecute or issue a civil penalty, and tenants can apply to a tribunal for a rent repayment order to get back rent they paid while the house was unlicensed. It is the single most expensive piece of paperwork to get wrong.
Not sure whether your house is licensed, or whether the conditions are being met? Ask for a free management review.
