The Practical Lawyer

An LA granted an HMO licence on condition that an attic bedroom could only be used (a) by a student, and (b) for ten months of the year.

The scope of mandatory licensing for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) was changed in October 2018. In particular, the definition was extended to include one- and two-storey buildings (previously it only covered buildings of three storeys or more).

The forfeiture of long leases is extremely rare. Earlier this year, however, there was much publicity about a case in which the long lessee of a first-floor flat in Kensal Rise (worth £600,000) forfeited his lease for what seemed to be minor breaches.

This flowchart is the starting point for working out whether Ts have a right of first refusal (when L is selling) under LTA 1987.

A long lease can (unintentionally) qualify as an assured shorthold.

Deregulation Act 2015 introduced important changes to the assured shorthold regime. Those did not previously apply to pre-October 2015 ASTs – but they now do.

Many LA licence fees for HMOs are unlawfully high.

Letting agents have been required to join a ‘redress scheme’ since 2014.

The definition of house in multiple occupation (HMO) changes on 1 October 2018. The new definition covers properties occupied by five or more people, comprising two or more separate households.