Renfrewshire Council

Licence for Houses In Multiple Occupation (HMO)

What a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) is, how it applies to tenants and landlords, how to apply for a licence, Display Notice and Certificate of Compliance, HMO applications in your neighbourhood.

What a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) is

A House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) is a house or a flat where three or more unrelated tenants live and share facilities such as a toilet, washing facilities or cooking facilities.

It can include a house, bed-sit, lodgings, student accommodation, hostel or a shared flat.

HMOs have to be licensed unless they qualify for exemption.


How HMOs apply to tenants

If you live in an HMO and it is not licensed, the property may not meet our licensing scheme standards and you may be at risk from:

  • poor gas and electrical safety
  • unsuitable facilities
  • a poor standard of repair
  • overcrowding
  • issues linked to poor management of the tenancy.

How HMOs apply to landlords

If you run a HMO without a licence, you will be committing a criminal offence. 

You could be prosecuted and fined up to £50,000.


How to apply for a HMO licence

Download and complete the Application pack for a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence [396KB]

This includes the New Licensing Conditions and Benchmark Standards which come into force on 1 July 2019. 

You should review the  HMO Licensing Conditions and Benchmark Standards [396KB] in good time before you make a new application for an HMO Licence to make sure your property is ready to meet the standards. 

If the licence is granted, information will be passed to Renfrewshire Joint Valuation Board and Council Tax for their information and all licenceholders should make the necessary arrangements to contact them as well. 

The cost for a HMO Licence is £1147

The cost for a HMO licence for identical properties is £688 (40% discount).

Send your completed application to customerservice.licensing@renfrewshire.gov.uk.


Display Notice and Certificate of Compliance

A display notice must be completed and displayed at the premises to which the licence relates. 

The date on the display notice must be exactly 21 days from the date the application is lodged with the licensing section.

If posting your application please remember the 21 days will not begin until we have received your application.

The Certificate of Compliance, on the reverse of the display notice, must be completed and returned to the licensing office after the 21 days date has passed. The dates on this certificate must reflect the date the application is lodged and the 21 days thereafter.

Once the 21 days date has passed and both sides of this form have been completed correctly you must make sure that you submit the original to the licensing office.

You can find the Display Notice and Certificate of Compliance in the  Application pack for a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence [396KB] .


HMO applications in your neighbourhood

If someone has applied for a licence, they must display a public notice:

  • 21 days starting from the date of the application
  • at, or near the property in a place where it is easy to read.

You are entitled to object to an application, giving your reasons.

If you believe that there are unlicensed HMOs in your neighbourhood or you are experiencing nuisance conditions arising from HMOs please contact Community Resources for advice and assistance.

See the HMO Statutory Guidance issued by Scottish Government.