Guidance

Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)

Guidance on the recent change to how Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) are valued for Council Tax in England.

Applies to England

From 1 December 2023 all HMOs in England are to be valued as a single property (aggregated) for Council Tax purposes. 

These amendments to legislation apply to all HMOs (including both licensed and unlicensed HMOs).

Licensed HMOs

We are working with local councils to identify licensed HMOs that are not currently aggregated. If you own or live in a licensed HMO and are liable to pay Council Tax, there is no action for you to take now. We aim to re-band affected properties by the end of March 2024. 

If we have not sent you a notice of alteration by the end of April, you should submit a proposal to bring your Council Tax banding in line with new legislation. 

Unlicensed HMOs 

It is not possible for us to identify unlicensed HMOs in the same way as licensed HMOs.  

If you own or live in an unlicensed HMO which is not currently aggregated and you are liable to pay Council Tax, you must submit a proposal for us to bring your Council Tax banding in line with new legislation. We have a statutory four-month deadline to respond to such proposals.

Published 1 December 2023
Last updated 8 April 2024 + show all updates
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