HMO Licence Conditions Explained: What You're Actually Signing Up To

Getting your HMO licence granted isn't the end of the obligations — it's the start of a defined set of conditions you're legally required to keep meeting for the life of the licence. Under the Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018, certain conditions are attached to every mandatory HMO licence in England.

Gas safety

A valid, up-to-date gas safety certificate must be in place at all times, renewed annually, and a copy provided to the council on request.

Electrical safety

Electrical installations must be inspected and tested at intervals not exceeding five years by a qualified person, with a satisfactory report supplied to the council within 7 days of a written request.

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide

Smoke alarms must be installed and kept in proper working order on each storey used as living accommodation, and carbon monoxide alarms must be fitted in any room used as living accommodation containing a solid fuel-burning appliance.

Furniture safety

Any furniture supplied by the landlord must meet fire safety standards under the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations.

Room size minimums

Mandatory conditions set minimum room sizes for sleeping accommodation: at least 6.51 square metres for one person over 10 years old, 10.22 square metres for two people over 10, and 4.64 square metres for a child under 10. Rooms below 4.64 square metres cannot be used as sleeping accommodation at all.

Waste management

The licence holder must comply with the council's scheme for the storage and disposal of household waste pending collection.

Conditions can go further than the minimum

Councils can, and often do, attach additional conditions beyond the mandatory list above — particularly for additional and selective licences, where local schemes set their own supplementary requirements. Always check your specific licence document rather than assuming only the mandatory conditions apply.

We check this before you apply

As part of our licence application service, we review your property against the full set of mandatory conditions before submission, so you know exactly what's required and aren't caught out by a condition you weren't aware of after the licence is granted.