Have your say on additional HMO licensing in Ealing

What is this consultation for?

Ealing Council is considering introducing a new five-year additional licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupations (HMOs).

An HMO is a rented home occupied by people from more than one household, who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom. HMO licensing provides clear guidance for landlords on the expected standards for property conditions and management.

A national mandatory licensing scheme already covers most larger HMOs occupied by five or more people. Additional licensing allows the council to require licences for smaller HMOs as well.

Ealing currently has an additional HMO property licensing scheme which began in April 2022 and ends on 31 March 2027. The council is now seeking your views on our proposal for an updated borough-wide scheme which would replace the current scheme once it ends. It will last five years, with a view to being introduced in April 2027.

Why is the council considering the scheme?

The council’s evidence identified concerns about conditions and management in some HMOs, including fire safety, overcrowding, disrepair, waste, and anti-social behaviour. Additional licensing allows the council to identify HMOs, inspect properties, set property conditions, and take enforcement actions against landlords or licence holders when they are not meeting their legal requirements or licence conditions.

What is being proposed?

The proposed scheme will build on the work already achieved through the current scheme, with the aim of raising property conditions and management standards for all HMOs. In summary, the proposed scheme would:

• Require smaller HMOs occupied by three or four unrelated people to have a license
• Introduce revised conditions relating to property management, waste, and anti-social behaviour
• Support a commitment to inspections
• Possible Section 257 coverage, to include certain buildings converted into self-contained that did not meet relevant building standards
• Increase awareness in tenants on the minimum standards they should be expecting in rented accommodation
• Increase awareness in landlords on their rights and responsibilities, with discounts for accredited landlords
• Have no changes to additional fees

Please read the HMO Licensing Consultation report and appendices (attached below) for the full details. These explain the evidence for the proposal, possible benefits, information on license conditions, technical details, and alternatives considered.