West Oxfordshire District Council

Full graphics version | Skip navigation | A-Z | Site map | Help | Accessibility | Contact us | Search

Page navigation

Home << Environment << Environmental health << Private sector housing << Houses in Multiple Occupation

Site directory

Council and Democracy | Living in West Oxfordshire | Planning | Environment | Leisure and tourism | Business

Publications listings
List our publications

Houses in Multiple Occupation

Houses that are occupied by people who do not live as a single household are known as Houses in Multiple Occupation. Examples of the type of properties are:

These have specific definitions which are explained in the download on the right of this page. 

Houses in Multiple Occupation have been found to provide some of the worst housing conditions for example, disrepair, inadequate means of escape in case of fire, inadequate fire precautions and a lack of basic amenities.  The Council is therefore pro-actively inspecting such properties to ensure that they meet the necessary standards.

Licencing In April 2006, a new mandatory licensing scheme for certain Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) was introduced. This applies to HMOs of three or more storeys occupied by five or more people comprising at least two households.

Licences will be granted if:

Will Tacit consent apply? Yes. This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from the local authority by the end of the target completion period.

Apply online  

To apply online you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader version 9 or later.  This is available to download free here. (link: http://tryit.adobe.com/uk/acrobat9/?sdid=EKBXD )

Apply for a house in multiple occupation licence

Tell us about a change to your existing house in multiple occupation licence

Please contact Private Sector Housing in the first instance.

Under section 72 and 95 of the Housing Act 2004 it is an offence to manage an HMO or other property which is subject to licensing and for which no application for a licence has been made. The offence is committed by the landlord and any manager of the property, and on summary conviction the person prosecuted is liable to a fine of up to £20,000.

The Housing Act 2004, which contains the relevant legislation, does provide a range of exemptions to the requirement for a licence.

Fee for Licensing a House in Multiple Occupation: £73.50 per habitable room (up to a maximum of £1,000)

Failed application redress:  You may appeal to a residential property tribunal. Any appeal must be made within 28 days of the decision being made.

Licence Holder redress:  You may appeal to a residential property tribunal regarding conditions attached to a licence or any decision to vary or revoke a licence. Any appeal must be made within 28 days of the decision being made.

Consumer complaint:  If a licence is granted and you wish to appeal against it being granted you may do so to a residential property tribunal within 28 days of the decision being made.

There are leaflets available from the Department of Communities and Local Government website which offer further advice to landlords and tenants on HMO licensing matters.

Trade Associations

British Property Federation

National Federation of Property Professionals

If you have any queries on HMO licensing, please contact the Private Sector Housing team by phoning 01993 861060 or use the online service also available on the right of this page.

Do it online

Request Help and Advice on Private Sector Housing

Go to My West Oxfordshire for all your local information or view all online services

Let us know about any problems with our website

File downloads

HMO Types Explanation (24 kB PDF) | Non Licensable HMOs - a Guide to Standards (256 kB PDF)

View all Publications and register for email alerts when they are updated.

Get Adobe Reader

Skip navigation Complaints procedure

Quick search

My West Oxfordshire

Find information about the area in which you live using My West Oxfordshire


Publication listings

List our publications

Email alert

Let us notify you by email when this page is updated

Email address

Last reviewed 30 March 2012

Top of page

Privacy statement | Disclaimer
Copyright © 2012 West Oxfordshire District Council