Houses in multiple occupation

Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), also known as houses of multiple occupancy, is a British English term which refers to residential properties where ‘common areas’ exist and are shared by more than one household. Common areas may be as significant as bathrooms and kitchens / kitchenettes, but may also be just stairwells or landings. HMOs may be divided up into self-contained flats, bed-sitting rooms or simple lodgings.

Strictly speaking, HMOs are not the same as purpose-built flat blocks, since most will have come into being as large buildings in single household occupation. Some legislation makes a distinction between those buildings occupied mainly on long leases and those where the majority of the occupants are short-term tenants.

The concept of HMOs arose from the Housing Act 1985, which first defined an HMO as "a house which is occupied by persons who do not form a single household". The Local Government and Housing Act 1989 expanded the definition to include any part of a building which:

Both the 1985 and the 1989 Acts have since been superseded by the Housing Act 2004, which established a more complete and complex definition and also introduced the requirement for some HMOs to be subject to mandatory licensing (see below).

The Housing Act 1985 was a consolidating act. The definition of HMO in section 345 HA85 was from section 129(1)of the Housing Act 1974.

HMOs are somewhat cheaper than a one bedroom flat with a room for tenants. When comparing the average tenant from an HMO and the average tenant from a one bed flat, the HMO tenant could save £1608 more over the year. HMO agreements often include most utility bills with the rent. This is because it is difficult for landlords to apportion the cost of bills to each tenant fairly and it is also more appealing to potential tenants.

HMO licensing was first introduced in Scotland in 2000. To be granted a licence under the scheme, properties must meet certain standards, such as presence of smoke detectors and fire doors. These provisions were included in response to a fatal fire at a student flat in Glasgow, which had no working smoke detectors, and metal bars preventing escape through a window.

HMO schemes have been subsequently introduced to other parts of the UK, though the definition of what constitutes an HMO varies between Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England & Wales.

In the United Kingdom, an HMO has the following characteristics:

Definitions of what constitutes a household are set out in the law.

A home is a large HMO if all of the following apply:

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