Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Management
HMOs are becoming more and more prevalent these days, especially in London, with its growing population, high prices and limited housing stock. An HMO offers excellent opportunities for landlords, but also some potential issues.
In the first place, you need to determine whether the property you own or are thinking of buying is defined as HMO. This is not as clear-cut as you might think, as different councils have different specifications and requirements.
In addition, while all HMO properties will need to comply with strict regulations, some will also require a special licence.
At Outlet, we specialise in properties in the Borough of Westminster, which covers Soho, Fitzrovia, Marylebone and most of the West End, but also handle properties covered by the adjoining Borough of Camden (Bloomsbury, Euston and King’s Cross). To find out more about what’s required see: HMO – regulations and licences
Landlords of Houses in Multiple Occupation fall into three distinct categories:
‘Accidental’ HMO Landlords
Some property owners become HMO landlords by default rather than intention. This is common in Soho and other parts of Central London, where someone may have bought a property primarily for the ground-floor shop or restaurant, only to inherit several tenants on the floors above. Proper HMO management will not only ensure you’re fully legal, but can also make a dramatic difference to the income from these properties – as this HMO case study shows
HMO as an investment
HMO properties are also becoming a deliberate and popular choice with single-property investors as, proportionately, there is the chance to earn more from several individual tenants. However, the main drawback is that having more tenants means more work, and you also need to comply with the HMO regulations. To find out how we can help, see why choose us for HMO
Multiple HMO investors
HMO properties are also specifically targeted by some investors who are building up property portfolios. As well as managing them, we can help any investors to identify those properties best suited to their needs, and with the most income potential. For details, see our property finder section
Find out more
For further information, take a look at what our HMO management service covers
If you live in an HMO property, we also have guidelines for HMO tenants
To find out how we can help you, please contact us
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