Mandatory house in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing

If you're a landlord or someone who owns or manages a house in multiple occupation (HMO), you have a responsibility to maintain certain standards at the property.

You must make sure that:

• the property is kept in good repair - we assess the condition of housing with reference to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System – Shared Regulatory Services
• there's an adequate number of amenities, such as toilets, bathrooms, cooking facilities and so on
• there are adequate fire precautions, such as fire doors, smoke detectors, alarms (further information is below under the heading Fire safety)
• the property is a suitable size and layout for the number of people or occupants living there
• common parts of the property – for example, staircase, shared lounge, fire escapes, fixtures and fittings etc, are kept in good order -  legal requirements are in the HMO management regulations

For minimum requirements, read our HMO standards document.

Fire safety

Below is our new HMO fire guide which many landlords have been requesting. Please note there is some new guidance from 2025 (for example the revisions to BS5839) that is not yet included in this new guide.  We are working with our colleagues in Hertfordshire authorities and with Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Fire Services to have a fully reviewed document completed later this year. 

The guide contains a method for carrying out a fire risk assessment. This can be acceptable but should not be a tick box exercise and full comments must be included specific to the particular property.  Please read the section of the HMO fire guide on Fire Risk Assessments before attempting this and ensure you feel confident to complete this. A MS Word template for the Fire Risk Assessment (below). All boxes on the template will need to be completed with information specific to your property.

The LACoRs guidance on fire safety provisions is no longer up to date with changes to the British standards for fire alarm systems. In order to ensure the safety of tenants living in Luton HMOs, we no longer accept the 'shared house' standard referred to in the LACoRs fire safety guidance. All HMOs in Luton will be expected to meet the stricter 'bedsit HMO' standard.

Controlling condensation and mould

When you need building consents

Structural works, in any property, must have the required building regulations approval and appropriate planning consents. 

Additionally you will need planning consent if you want to operate an HMO with seven or more people or you want to convert an existing property into self-contained flats/studios and or bedsits. 

The issue of an HMO license does not imply compliance with planning consent and building regulation approval. Although we will consider an application for seven or more people without the appropriate planning/building control permissions, we will notify those teams who will undertake their own investigation.

If you need advice in these respects contact:

 Planning and Building Control

Change of use

Luton does not currently have an Article 4 direction requiring planning permission for a change of use from dwelling house (use class C3) to house in multiple occupation by not more than six residents (use class C4).

Who you must inform about your application

For Houses in Multiple Occupation,  the landlord will be liable for Council Tax. Other accommodation Including single family dwellings and flats, where the property is let to a single household, the occupant is liable.

The law requires you to let certain persons know in writing that you intend to make an application for a property licence. The persons that need to know are any person or company who:

• is a mortgagee of the property to be licensed
• is an owner of the property if that is not you, including the freeholder and any head lessors who are known to you
• are tenants or long leaseholders of the property or any part of it (including any flat) who are known to you (other than a statutory tenant, or other tenant whose lease or tenancy is for less than three years)
• is the proposed Licence Holder and Property Manager (if any) if that is not you
• has agreed to be bound by any conditions in a licence if granted (for example if there is an agreed right of way for a fire escape through another property)

A declaration that you have notified the people above forms part of the application form. Additionally, the law requires us to notify the relevant people above of the intention to issue a licence.