An HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) is a UK rental property occupied by three or more unrelated tenants who share kitchen, bathroom, or toilet facilities. Large HMOs with five or more tenants require a mandatory licence from the local council; smaller HMOs may need additional or selective licensing depending on the borough.
Also known as: House in Multiple Occupation, HMO property
HMO is a legal designation under the Housing Act 2004 in England and Wales (with parallel rules in Scotland and Northern Ireland). It applies to most shared rental homes — student houses, professional flatshares, asylum accommodation, supported living, and so on.
Three tiers of UK licensing exist. *Mandatory licensing covers all HMOs with five or more tenants forming two or more households. Additional licensing is set by individual councils and covers smaller HMOs in designated wards. Selective licensing* covers any rental property in a designated ward, not only HMOs. Each council publishes its own licence application form, fees and inspection regime.
Floor plans are a required element of most HMO licence applications. The council needs to see room sizes (to validate occupancy against the property), fire safety provisions (smoke alarms, fire doors, escape routes), and shared facility locations. VizCraft produces HMO floor plans formatted to UK council submission standards from £7.90 per plan.
VizCraft delivers this work for UK estate agents, photographers and developers — typically within 6–12 hours.