Greenwich council in London is the latest to announce an extension to its HMO licensing policy.

The council is already legally obliged to license the largest HMOs that provide accommodation over three storeys or more to at least five residents. Now a new policy created by the council means every HMO will be required to have a license from October 1. 

The council claims this has come about because of concern “about poor standards in the private rented sector”.

Since 2013 a team of officers has visited over 1,750 properties in total in the borough and carried out over 1,330 formal investigations into unsatisfactory conditions. More than 2,200 hazards to tenants’ health or safety have been identified. 

The council says an extensive public consultation was carried out and approximately 80 per cent of residents and tenants who responded were in favour of the changes to HMO licensing.