Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO)

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 Part 5 - (Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation)

A house is an HMO if it is the only or principal residence of three or more qualifying persons from three or more families.

Eligibility Criteria

You must be a fit and proper person to hold the licence. Please view or download the minimum requirements for HMO properties (PDF).   

Procedure

A fee, determined by us, will be payable on application and can be paid online.

Please ensure that the following documents are enclosed with your application form:

Failure to submit any of the documents below will result in the process of the application being delayed.

The following documents must be submitted with the HMO application form:

• A layout plan of the premises including room dimensions;
• A copy of the Electrical Safety Certificate;
• A copy of the annual Portable Appliance Test (PAT) Report; indicating appliances provided by the landlord have been examined by a competent person who has confirmed they are functioning properly and are safe;
• A copy of the Gas Certificate, where there are gas appliances in the premises, provided by a Gas Safe registered installer (required on a 12 month basis);
• A copy of the Tenancy Management Agreement as described in Annexe 3;
• A copy of the Building Insurance Certificate and Public Liability Insurance;
• A copy of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
• A copy of inspection/cleaning of chimneys/flues (within the last 12 months) (where applicable) and;
• Appropriate fee

HMO Cert 1 Display Notice

Please ensure that the display notice is displayed for a minimum of 21 days at the property on the date of application is submitted (not before).

HMO Cert 2 Certificate of Display

Please ensure that the certificate of display is returned to the licensing team to certify the above has been displayed for a minimum of 21 days.

Procedure

Licences will be granted if

• the house is or can be made suitable for multiple occupation
• the applicant is a fit and proper person and the most appropriate person to hold the licence
• the proposed manager has control of the house, and is a fit and proper person to be the manager
• the management arrangements are satisfactory

Read our Guidance Notes for more information before completing a form.

Will Tacit Consent Apply?

Yes. This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from us by the end of the target completion period.

Apply online

To apply online for a licence, make a change to an existing licence, or to supply a certificate of display please use the link below or application packs.