HMO Management Regulations in England

HMO management regulations are separate from — and on top of — the licence itself. Even if your HMO licence is granted and valid, breaching these regulations is a standalone offence that can lead to a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per breach or criminal prosecution with an unlimited fine.

Two sets of regulations apply in England, depending on the type of property.

Which Regulations Apply to Your Property

The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/372) cover most HMOs: shared houses, bedsits, and any property where occupants share facilities like kitchens or bathrooms.

The Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Additional Provisions) (England) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007/1903) cover Section 257 HMOs — buildings that have been converted into self-contained flats where the conversion did not meet the Building Regulations in force at the time and fewer than one-third of the flats are owner-occupied.

The duties overlap substantially, but the 2007 Regulations are narrower because the flats are self-contained — occupants are not sharing kitchens and bathrooms in the same way. If your property is a standard shared house with a mandatory HMO licence, the 2006 Regulations are the ones you need to know.

The Manager's Core Duties (2006 Regulations)

The regulations place duties on the "manager" of the HMO — the person having control of or managing the property. That is usually the landlord, but it can be a letting agent or property manager if they are named as the manager on the licence.

Regulation 3 — Manager's Contact Details

You must display your name, address, and a contact telephone number in a prominent position within the HMO. A laminated notice in the communal hallway is the standard approach. The information must be kept up to date — if your phone number changes, the notice must be updated.

Regulation 4 — Safety Measures

You must keep all fire-fighting equipment and fire alarms in proper working order, and ensure fire escape routes are free from obstruction at all times. Specific duties include:

• Maintaining all fire detection and alarm systems
• Keeping fire escape routes clear and accessible
• Ensuring all fire doors are self-closing and in good repair
• Protecting escape routes from smoke and fire spread

Any fire-fighting equipment must be inspected at the intervals recommended by the manufacturer or installer.

Regulation 5 — Water Supply and Drainage

You must keep the water supply and drainage in good repair and working order, including any storage tanks, pipes, and water fittings. Where the water supply is shared, the facilities must be adequate for the number of occupants.

Regulation 6 — Gas and Electricity

You must keep the gas and electricity installations in proper working order and ensure all fixed electrical appliances are safe. This overlaps with the standalone Gas Safety and Electrical Safety regulations — but the management regulations add a general duty to maintain the installations in working order between formal inspections.

Regulation 7 — Common Parts and Communal Areas

Arguably the most frequently breached regulation. You must:

• Keep all common parts (hallways, stairs, landings, shared kitchens, bathrooms) in good repair, clean condition, and free from obstruction
• Maintain all shared fixtures and fittings (light fittings, floor coverings, banisters, window locks)
• Keep any outbuildings, yards, and forecourts in repair and free from litter and refuse

Councils regularly issue enforcement notices for cluttered hallways, broken communal lighting, and unmaintained shared bathrooms. The inspection standard is whether a reasonable person would consider the area clean, safe, and properly maintained.

Regulation 8 — Living Accommodation

You must keep each unit of living accommodation (individual lettings) in good repair, including the internal structure, fixtures, fittings, and furnishings provided by the manager. Where windows or ventilation are the manager's responsibility, they must be maintained in working order.

Regulation 9 — Waste Disposal

You must provide adequate bins and refuse storage for the number of occupants and make suitable arrangements for regular disposal. Many councils impose specific waste management conditions on HMO licences — failing to comply with the management regulations and the licence conditions compounds the offence.

What About Occupants' Duties?

Regulation 10 places limited duties on occupants: they must not obstruct the manager from carrying out their duties, must keep their own room in reasonable condition, must not damage the property, and must dispose of waste properly using the facilities provided.

In practice, if a tenant blocks a fire escape or damages a communal area, you should address it in writing and keep a copy. If the council inspects and finds a breach, "my tenant did it" is not a defence — the duty to maintain common parts sits with the manager.

Enforcement and Penalties

Breaching any regulation is a criminal offence under Section 234 of the Housing Act 2004. The council can prosecute in the Magistrates' Court (unlimited fine) or issue a civil penalty notice (up to £40,000 per breach). Each breached regulation counts as a separate offence.

Councils often discover management regulation breaches during routine licence inspections or in response to tenant complaints. The inspection typically covers the full checklist — fire safety equipment, communal area condition, contact notice, waste arrangements, and the state of shared facilities.

Staying Compliant

The most reliable approach is a quarterly property inspection covering every regulation. Check fire detection, communal areas, waste facilities, and contact details on each visit. Document the inspection with dated photographs — they are your evidence of compliance if the council queries anything.

Our HMO Licensing Guide for England includes a management regulations compliance checklist aligned to the 2006 Regulations, covering each regulation with the inspection standard councils apply.

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