Apply for or renew a house in multiple occupation (HMO) licence

To be a granted an HMO licence, you and your agent must:

be a fit and proper person to operate an HMO
have the property in good order and suitable for the purpose (or can be made so as a condition of the licence)
have the necessary planning permissions for HMO use
make sure there are proper tenancy agreements

You must renew your licence before it runs out.

Return your completed form to:

Housing and Licensing Standards
Militia House
English Street
Dumfries
DG1 2HR

You need to provide the following documentation (where applicable):

floor plans of the premises – for new applications, or where there have been alterations made to the property
current or proposed tenancy agreement for the property
property insurance policy including public liability cover
electrical Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) for the property
a copy of the current landlord's gas safety certificate for all gas appliances
a satisfactory Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) for the property
fire safety risk assessment
fire detection or warning system – maintenance and testing record
emergency lighting – maintenance and testing record
firefighting equipment – maintenance and testing record

Licence fees depend on the number of occupants. They are non-refundable.

If you run more than one HMO, you need a separate licence for each home.

Once submitted, you must display a copy of your application in a prominent place outside the HMO for 21 days.

A licence usually lasts for 3 years.

If you fail to meet any of the conditions of your licence you could:

have your licence revoked
be fined up to £10,000
be forced to fix any problems immediately, for example home improvements (your rent payments may be stopped until it’s done)

Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs)