Cross Party Welcome for Stricter HMO Licensing Scheme

Opposition says Hounslow Council and Mayor have failed to respond to crisis

Landlords operating HMOs within the borough will be required to apply for a licence

September 3, 2025

Hounslow Council has formally approved the renewal of its borough-wide Additional Licensing Scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), extending regulatory oversight to thousands of smaller shared homes and converted flats across the borough. The decision, taken at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (2 September), will see the scheme come into force in December and remain in place for five years.

Under the Housing Act 2004, mandatory licensing already applies to HMOs occupied by five or more people from two or more households. The newly approved additional licensing scheme expands this to cover:

• HMOs occupied by three or more people in two or more households sharing facilities such as kitchens or bathrooms (Section 254).
• Certain converted buildings containing self-contained flats under single ownership or control (Section 257).

The scheme aims to improve housing conditions, reduce anti-social behaviour, and strengthen enforcement powers. Licensing conditions will require landlords to manage waste and recycling, address noise and nuisance complaints, and meet minimum standards for fire safety and energy efficiency. Council officers will be permitted to carry out unannounced inspections, enabling earlier intervention and preventing landlords from concealing issues.

Cabinet Member for Assets, Regeneration and Development, Councillor Tom Bruce, said the measures are designed to “make Hounslow a cleaner, safer, fairer place to live.” He acknowledged that while most landlords act responsibly, the council continues to receive complaints about overcrowding, poor sanitation, and unmanaged waste linked to some HMOs.

The scheme will be funded entirely through licence fees, with no impact on council tax. According to the council’s report, the licensing framework will support a comprehensive database of HMOs, enabling data-driven enforcement and better service planning. An education-first approach will be adopted to support landlords in meeting their obligations, while tenants will be provided with guidance on their rights and responsibilities.

The proposals received cross-party support. Conservative councillors welcomed the decision, citing repeated cases of unsafe and overcrowded properties across the borough. Councillor Peter Thompson, Leader of the Conservative Group, stated, “Good landlords have nothing to fear from this, but bad landlords will hate it, which tells you all you need to know.”

The council’s consultation on the scheme, which ran for ten weeks earlier this year, drew mixed responses. Of the 71 submissions received, 47.9% supported the scheme and an equal proportion opposed it. Concerns raised included enforcement capacity, fee transparency, and the need for better integration between planning and licensing departments. The council responded by committing to expanded staffing, upgraded systems, and closer coordination across teams.

The Additional Licensing Scheme builds on the previous programme introduced in August 2020, which expired in July 2025. Evidence presented to Cabinet showed that while progress had been made, significant numbers of HMOs remained in poor condition, with persistent complaints about fly-tipping, noise, and overcrowding.

The scheme aligns with Hounslow’s Housing Strategy 2025 and its Article 4 direction, which requires planning permission for new HMOs.

The licensing designation will be formally published in the coming weeks, with implementation scheduled for December. Landlords operating HMOs within the borough will be required to apply for a licence and comply with the new conditions or face enforcement action.