HMO information for private tenants

On this page you will find information about the standards that apply to houses in multiple occupancy (HMOs).

You can also view the full standards document here.

A property is a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) when:

• The property is shared by three or more people who are not all part of the same family. Each person or family group is considered a separate household, and the property must be their main place of residence.
• Facilities like toilets, bathrooms, or kitchens are shared and are usually accessed through communal areas. These shared spaces may be used by some or all of the occupants.

Some buildings that have been converted into flats may also be HMOs. An HMO licence is required if the building you live in:

• has been converted into separate flats, without any shared facilities,
• the conversion work doesn’t meet the standards set by the 1991 Building Regulations, and
• at least two-thirds of the flats are rented out

All HMOs in Portsmouth require a licence from the council.

A licence isn’t needed if only two people live in the property.

If you live in an HMO and think it may not have a licence, please let us know.

• Contact us using our online form
• Email licensing@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
• Call us on 023 9284 1659

You can also check if your home is licensed by visiting our HMO database.

The space required for rooms will often depend on how many people are living in the property. You can find a full breakdown of these requirements in the full standards document.

HMOs are legally required to have adequate heating. We also require:

• that the heating system can heat the whole property
• that bedrooms and bath/shower rooms have heating
• that heating is available at all times, and can be controlled by tenants

Further requirements can be found in the full standards document.

Landlords must ensure that adequate bins are provided for tenants. We also ask landlords to make sure tenants are given the correct information about recycling and rubbish collections.

You can find out more about recycling and rubbish, or view our full requirements and suggestions in the standards document.

If you have concerns regarding the HMO you live in, you can report an HMO issue online here.