Licence - homes in multiple occupancy
Houses in multiple occupation are
regulated under the
Housing Act 2004. The Housing Act 2004 places a duty on
landlords or managing agents who rent certain property/properties
to unrelated people to inform the Council and Licence them with
us.
Is my property licensable?
More information is available in our simple self-assessment
sheet 'Does
my property need a licence?'
Living in an unlicensed House in Multiple Occupation
Operating a house in multiple occupation without the appropriate
licence carries severe legal penalties. Information for landlords
and tenants is available on
living in an unlicensed house in multiple occupation.
How do I apply for an HMO licence?
Email us or telephone 01622 602740 to arrange a visit to
the property to determine whether the property is in fact
licensable. If it is, we will ask you to complete an application
form.
You and any manager must be classed as fit and proper persons to
run the premises. The licence holder must also put into place
suitable management procedures.
Do I need to provide any documentation?
Alongside the main application form, we need several documents
from you:
- A full copy of the tenancy agreement which you will enter into
with your tenants, including details of any rent you will charge –
this document MUST be included in your application;
- A copy of the full Electrical Certificate, if the property has
one;
- The Gas Safety Certificate, if there is gas to the property and
it has been checked in the last 12 months;
- A fire alarm certificate, if the property has one;
- An emergency lighting certificate, if the property has
one.
We do not require an annotated plan of the property.
Apply online or by post for a new licence or to renew an
existing licence.
You can
apply to run a house in multiple occupation online.
You can also
apply online to renew your house in multiple occupation
licence.
You will be taken to an online payment facility at the end of
your online application to pay the appropriate fee. All of the
above documents can be attached as scans/electronic copies, or you
can post hard copies to:
Private Sector Housing, Maidstone House, King Street, Maidstone,
Kent, ME15 6JQ.
Alternatively, please contact the Private Sector Housing Team on
01622 602740, and they will post you a paper application form to
fill in and return to us. Please include a cheque for the
appropriate fee amount, made payable to Maidstone Borough
Council.
How much do new licence applications and renewals cost?
The application fee varies depending on whether or not you are
an accredited landlord.
Accredited landlords: £350
Non-Accredited landlords: £400
Accredited landlords (this is different to being
a member of a landlords’ association) must include their accredited
certificate number on the application form (at Section 16 on the
online form) or you will be charged the higher rate.
How do I make changes to my licence?
If you are planning to alter the property or the management of
the house, you must apply to vary your licence to keep it up to
date.
You must tell us if you:
- change the number of people who can occupy the property by:
- increasing/decreasing the number of bedrooms,
- increasing/decreasing the number of facilities or
amenities,
- change the manager of the property (she or he must also be a
fit and proper person),
- change your management procedures or tenancy agreements.
You can
apply to change your house in multiple occupation licence
online.
The fee for this procedure is £90.
If you need to update your own, or the manager’s contact
details, or you sell the property, please email
us or speak to us on 01622 602740 as soon as possible.
How long will it take the Council to process my
application?
You may not consider your application
successful until we have fully processed and granted your licence.
Please read about the assessment procedure once
an application has been made for comprehensive information on
what happens next, and how long processing your application will
usually take.
Information on appeals if your application should fail and
complaints is available at “What
should I know before applying for a House in Multiple Occupation
Licence?”.
What else do I need to know?
For important information on HMO licence conditions, licence
renewal, appeals if applications fail, penalties and complaints,
read “What
should I know before applying for a House in Multiple Occupation
Licence?”
Remember: if you increase the persons occupying
the property without informing us there is a fine of up to £20,000
on summary conviction.
If you are a tenant in a house in multiple occupancy and
have any concerns over the management of the property, please
contact us immediately using the details to the right of this
page.