What is an Additional HMO licensing scheme?

If you’re renting out a property (or thinking about it), you’ve probably heard the term HMO licence thrown around. But then someone mentions an additional HMO licensing scheme and suddenly it gets confusing.

Here’s the simple version.

First, what’s an HMO?

An HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) is usually a property where 3 or more tenants from more than one household live together and share facilities like a kitchen or bathroom.

In the UK, some HMOs must have a licence to be legally rented. The most common one is mandatory HMO licensing, which applies to larger HMOs with five or more tenants.

But that’s not the whole story.

So what is an Additional HMO licensing scheme?

An additional HMO licensing scheme is something a local council can introduce in certain areas. It expands licensing rules to include smaller HMOs that wouldn’t normally need a licence under the national mandatory rules.

In simple terms:

Mandatory licensing applies to large HMOs across the whole country.

Additional licensing applies to smaller HMOs in specific council areas.

These schemes are usually introduced when a council believes there are issues with housing standards, safety, or poor management in shared homes.

Why do councils introduce them?

Councils use additional licensing schemes to improve housing conditions and make sure landlords are managing shared properties properly.

They might introduce one if there are:

• concerns about property safety
• complaints from tenants
• poor living conditions
• anti-social behaviour linked to shared housing
• a high number of smaller HMOs in one area

Each council decides where the scheme applies and what types of properties are included. That means rules can change from borough to borough.

Which properties are affected?

This is where it catches a lot of landlords out.

If a council has an additional licensing scheme in place, it may require a licence for properties with:

• 3 or 4 tenants
• tenants from more than one household
• shared facilities like kitchens or bathrooms

Even a small shared house can need a licence if it sits inside a scheme area.

You can’t assume a property doesn’t need licensing just because it’s not a large HMO.

What happens if you don’t have the right licence?

If a property should be licensed but isn’t, it can lead to serious consequences. These can include:

• fines or civil penalties
• rent repayment orders
• issues serving notice to tenants
• enforcement action from the council

In short, it’s not something you want to guess.

The tricky part: every council is different

Additional HMO licensing schemes are local. One street might require a licence, while the next borough over doesn’t. Schemes also have start dates, end dates, and different rules.

That’s why checking manually on council websites can be time-consuming and confusing, especially if you manage multiple properties.

Not sure if your property needs a licence?

That’s exactly why Tuxa exists.

Instead of digging through council pages and PDFs, you can quickly check whether a rented property needs a licence and what type it might require.

If you’re a landlord, agent, or property professional, it takes seconds to get clarity and avoid costly mistakes.

Use Tuxa to see if your rental property needs an HMO licence or falls within an additional licensing scheme.

Head to the website, enter the address, and get a clear answer in seconds.