In 2015 Islington Council re-evaluated its rules on HMO (houses of multiple occupancy) license requirements on Caledonian and Holloway Roads in the Borough. A survey had previously been conducted in the areas to determine the standards of management. It found that there were concerns with a surprising 68% of the 200 homes on the two roads. As a result, new stricter rules were introduced.

The new requirements for the two roads mean that licenses are required for all rental properties occupied by three plus people in more than a single household. Previously only houses with three plus stories and five or more occupants in multiple households required a license. The change gets rid of the specification for the number of stories, lowers the number of occupants and ensures that any property where residents share basic amenities needs to be licensed.

The previous rules on HMO licenses still apply to the other roads in Islington. Regardless of the area it is important that landlords ensure they meet their obligations and provide homes that are well managed. This is important, particularly with the continued rise in the number of people across the Borough and London as a whole who are opting to rent privately.

Those landlords who don’t adhere to the HMO licensing rules or fail in their management of the properties can face big fines. In fact Islington Council recently handed out over £20,000 in fines to landlords in the area who failed to follow the rules. One of these was a £7,458.75 for a landlord who ran an unlicensed HMO.

At Finefair we have a great deal of experience with HMOs and council leasing in Southwark, Islington and the rest of London. We stay up to date on the rules in each borough and can offer advice and support to all clients. We can even take on the management and maintenance of properties for landlords to help them deliver a great service to their tenants. If you have any questions please feel free to contact our highly trained team.