Is My Property an HMO in Coventry? How to Check

The Three-Part Test

A property is an HMO under the Housing Act 2004 when three conditions are met simultaneously:

1. Three or more people live in the property
2. Those people form two or more separate households
3. They share basic amenities — a kitchen, bathroom, or toilet

If all three are true, you have an HMO that needs licensing in Coventry.

The Household Definition Catches People Out

This is where most confusion sits. A "household" under housing law means members of the same family — spouses, cohabitees, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and first cousins. Everyone else is a separate household.

Three unrelated friends sharing a house? Three households — even on one joint tenancy. A couple and one unrelated flatmate? Two households. A family of four? One household (no HMO, no licence needed).

The tenancy agreement structure doesn't change the count. Three people on a single joint AST still count as three households if they're unrelated. Landlords who assume a joint tenancy creates a single household are wrong, and it's one of the most common reasons for accidental non-compliance.

Which Licence Do You Need?

Once you've established your property is an HMO, the number of occupants determines the licence type:

3 or 4 occupants (two or more households, sharing amenities): Additional HMO licence under Coventry's city-wide scheme. This runs from 4 May 2025 through 3 May 2030.

5 or more occupants (two or more households, sharing amenities): Mandatory HMO licence under national rules. No scheme expiry — this applies continuously.

Single household (regardless of occupant count): no property licence required in Coventry. The council has no selective licensing scheme.

Lodgers and Owner-Occupiers

If you live in the property and take in lodgers, the rules are slightly different. An owner-occupier with up to two lodgers is exempt from HMO licensing. But when a third lodger moves in, the property has four occupants, is no longer within that exemption, and is subject to Coventry's Additional Licensing rules.

Student Houses and University Accommodation

Student accommodation directly managed by Coventry University or the University of Warwick is exempt from HMO licensing — but only if the institution is signatory to an approved Code of Practice and the building is on the university's official schedule.

Private landlords renting to students are not exempt. A three-bedroom house near campus rented to three Coventry University students needs an additional HMO licence, just like any other shared let.

How to Verify

Count your occupants. Check whether they're related. Check whether they share a kitchen, bathroom, or toilet. If the answers are three or more, two or more households, and yes, you need a licence.

For a full decision flowchart covering mandatory, additional, and Section 257 licensing in Coventry, see our Coventry Landlord Licensing Guide.

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