Should we get an HMO license or not?

gimmetheloot

@davidmcn
Again, the difference between four and five is arbitrary so I don't quite get the moral panic over occupying the fifth room or leaving it empty. Is the fire risk exponentially greater with a fifth?

@00ec25
Thanks

gimmetheloot

Thanks Comms69 and yes I think the legal implications are enough to convince me

00ec25

gimmetheloot wrote: »

be impossible to meet, regardless of investment in time or money.

tosh

what you mean is you will happily and knowingly let a property which "cannot" meet fire safety regulations because it would require too much work to do so

PS I have previously reported a resident LL of an HMO. They were fined £8,000 and the one of the tenants who had lived there for over 15 years was told by the council to seek a rent repayment order.
Unfortunately the tenant was too timid to go through with it.

I really, really hope you are merely trolling....

dimbo61

Depending on the construction, age and existing fire safety in the building you could be looking at anything from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands and thousands.
Does the building have 30 minute fire doors to all bedrooms and kitchen/lounge doors.
Fire control panel with a full mains wired interlinked smoke and heat alarm system ?
Emergency lighting in the hallway and stairs ?
Turn locks on exit doors ?
Fire fighting equipment such as fire blanket and fire extinguishers ?
This all needs to be checked and signed off by a company who can inspect every year.
You don't need to do any of this BUT if a fire happens in a property you own you might well end up in Court and even Prison

gimmetheloot

00ec25 wrote: »

tosh

what you mean is you will happily and knowingly let a property which "cannot" meet fire safety regulations because it would require too much work to do so

PS I have previously reported a resident LL of an HMO. They were fined £8,000 and the one of the tenants who had lived there for over 15 years was told by the council to seek a rent repayment order.
Unfortunately the tenant was too timid to go through with it.

I really, really hope you are merely trolling....

That was my understanding. If I'm mistaken then fine.

Anyway, we will let to two others and keep a spare room.

It is the reality though that any 5+ bed houses let without an HMO license and without a resident landlord will be occupied by 5+ people 90% of the time. I live in one now, have done previously, and know many others who do also. Yes it is the landlord's responsibility to ensure it doesn't happen but it's amazing the lengths that tenants will go to hide it.

I wasn't considering putting anyone in a situation I wouldn't happily be in myself..

dimbo61 wrote: »

Depending on the construction, age and existing fire safety in the building you could be looking at anything from a couple of hundred pounds to thousands and thousands.
Does the building have 30 minute fire doors to all bedrooms and kitchen/lounge doors.
Fire control panel with a full mains wired interlinked smoke and heat alarm system ?
Emergency lighting in the hallway and stairs ?
Turn locks on exit doors ?
Fire fighting equipment such as fire blanket and fire extinguishers ?
This all needs to be checked and signed off by a company who can inspect every year.
You don't need to do any of this BUT if a fire happens in a property you own you might well end up in Court and even Prison

Thanks. It's not been bought or even viewed yet so this is a hypothetical exercise at this point. I would suspect it has none of this though being a family home currently.

chanz4

A hmo near me went up this week, one occupier died from a cig burning his bed. Don't forget insurance as you cant have normal, HMRC can be tipped off by the bank also.

Red-Squirrel_2

gimmetheloot wrote: »

For the record I do support public oversight of the private rented sector

Yeah, when you're renting and it benefits you. Not so much when you're a LL and it inconveniences you!

gimmetheloot

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

Yeah, when you're renting and it benefits you. Not so much when you're a LL and it inconveniences you!

I literally just said I live in a house without an HMO license but with 5+ people, so I'm not actually being inconsistent on that!