Meaning of House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)
Your landlord has extra legal responsibilities if the house or flat you share with other tenants is a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).
Read the meaning of a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) (opens new window)
Your home is a HMO if both of the following apply:
- at least 3 tenants live there, forming more than 1 household
- you share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities with other tenants
Your home is a large HMO if both of the following apply:
- at least 5 tenants live there, forming more than 1 household
- you share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities with other tenant
Large HMOs must be licensed.
A household is either a single person or members of the same family who live together. A family includes people who are:
- married or living together - including people in same-sex relationships
- relatives or half-relatives, for example grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings
- step-parents and step-children.