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A West London council has formally approved a long-awaited crackdown on HMOs (Houses of Multiple Occupation) in the borough. This comes after years of resident complaints and a flurry of the shared homes appearing in neighbourhoods.
The scheme specifically targets smaller HMOs not currently covered by mandatory licensing. Under the current rules, HMOs housing four or fewer people were not required to obtain a council licence - no longer will this be the case.
The new rules will enforce licensing conditions for all homes with three or more people living as two or more households who share facilities. The new scheme will be in place for a period of five years before it is potentially renewed.
In August 2025, the council conducted a Housing Tenure Survey, which found evidence of poor property management and tenant safety risks. The report discovered that 30 per cent of HMOs in Hillingdon are predicted to have serious safety hazards - three times the national average.
Across the borough, there are an estimated 2,537 HMOs, but only 666 are currently licenced. This means that there are at least 1,871 'hidden' HMOs operating without council oversight.
Over the last five years, there have been 3,850 antisocial behaviour incidents linked to HMOs. In August 2025, residents of a leafy Yiewsley road told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that HMOs ruined their street by bringing "drugs, rats, and men staring at girls".
The new policy follows a 10-week public consultation in which 80 per cent of over 1,000 respondents agreed with the scheme. Supporters argued that it will help identify poor landlords and improve the quality of their neighbourhood.
For landlords to get a licence, they must pay a fee to the council, and adhere to strict conditions. The total fee will amount to £1,401. Conditions include adhering to stringent health and safety standards in addition to space limits.
Arguably the most important part for other residents is the formal requirement for landlords to take "reasonable" steps to prevent antisocial behaviour. This includes adding behavioural clauses to tenancy agreements, properly investigating complaints, and working with the council and police.
Something else often raised by people living nearby HMOs is the lack of bins or build up of rubbish outside the home. Now, landlords must provide sufficient external bins and give tenants written information on recycling, whilst actively responding to complaints about waste.
Alongside this new licensing scheme, the council enacted an immediate Article 4 Direction on December 10, 2025. This applies borough-wide and means that full planning permission is now required to convert a family home into a HMO. Permitted development rights - a relaxation of planning laws - meant such conversions did not require full planning permission. The Article 4 Direction allows for an exception to that rule, in this instance with regards to HMO conversions.
Landlords can officially begin submitting applications for the new licence on May 20. The deadline for this will be August 24, when full council enforcement will begin.
Have a story you want to share? Email philip.lynch@reachplc.com or @pjlynchjourno on X.
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