Renfrewshire Council

It can include a house, bed-sit, lodgings, student accommodation, hostel or a shared flat. HMOs have to be licensed unless they qualify for exemption.
 

Tenants and HMOs

If you live in an HMO and it is not licensed, the property may not meet our licensing scheme standards and you may be at risk from the following:

• poor gas and electrical safety
• unsuitable facilities
• a poor standard of repair
• overcrowding
• issues linked to poor management of the tenancy.

Landlords and HMOs

Are you the landlord of a property that needs a licence? If you continue to run a HMO without a licence, you will be committing a criminal offence. 

You could be prosecuted and fined up to £50,000.
 

Licence application and guidance

The application pack can be found in the related content area of the website.  This includes the New Licensing Conditions and Benchmark Standards which come into force on 1 July 2019.  We recommend that you review the new Licensing Conditions and Benchmark Standards in good time before a new application for an HMO Licence is made for your property to ensure it is ready to meet the standards. 

If the licence is granted information will be passed to Renfrewshire Joint Valuation Board and Council Tax for their information and all licenceholders should make the necessary arrangements to contact them aswell. 
 

Display Notice and Certificate of Compliance

A display notice must be completed and displayed at the premises to which the licence relates. 

Please note that the date on the display notice must be exactly 21days from the date the application is lodged with the licensing section. (If posting your application please remember the 21 days will not commence until the application has been received at this office).

After the 21 days date has passed the Certificate of Compliance (on the reverse of the display notice) requires to be completed and returned to the licensing office. The dates on this certificate must reflect the date the application is lodged and the 21 days thereafter.

Once the 21 days date has passed and both sides of this form have been completed correctly you must ensure that you submit the original to the licensing office.

Neighbours and HMOs

Are there HMOs in your neighbourhood? If someone has applied for a licence, they must display a public notice 21 days starting from the date of the application. they must display the notice at, or near the property in a place where it is easy to read. You are entitled to object to an application, giving your reasons.

If you believe that there are unlicensed HMOs in your neighbourhood or you are experiencing nuisance conditions arising from HMOs please contact Community Resources for advice and assistance.

Click on the link to access the HMO Statutory Guidance issued by Scottish Government