Earlier in the year 5 renters took their Landlord to court and won £15000 of their rent back, on the basis that:
“A visit from a housing officer in May 2018 revealed their landlord was, in fact, unlawfully renting the property. Which was a problem, as they’d been living there for eight months.
It transpired their landlord hadn’t acquired a House in Multiple Occupation Licence (HMO). An HMO must be held by any home housing five or more unrelated people, who share communal facilities (like a kitchen), with at least one tenant paying rent. An HMO licence is vital – it confirms the house has the correct safety certificates, that fire alarms are present and working and whoever is in charge of the property is qualified. Tenants can ask their local council to check if the property they’re renting currently holds an HMO.” As this particular Landlord didn’t have a licence, the council was pursuing legal action…. under the expanded scope of the 2016 Housing and Planning Act, the tenants would now be able to start a case, by applying for a Rent Repayment Order of the 2016 Housing and Planning Act, which prior to the update, could only be pursued by the council.
For the full story use the link below to read more. If you would like to know more about Landlords responsibilities and how to apply for a licence, go to the government website https://www.gov.uk/renting-out-a-property/houses-in-multiple-occupation-hmo
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/745ea8b2-2ef2-46ee-89ac-3e596b0efeb1