Salford to Introduce HMO Licensing

Salford council is to introduce landlord licensing for HMOs containing three or four tenants, with each license costing over £1,000.

The new scheme is due to come into force from July 19th and will cover the whole of Salford for the next first years. Landlords will be required to pay a one-off fee of £1,085 for the licence, with the council claiming that more than 90% of three and four-bed HMOs fell below the required standard.

The council argues it has tried to provide clear information about acceptable standards, whilst offering an HMO advice service. However, their inspections found missing or damaged fire doors, inadequate or blocked escape routes and insufficient fire safety measures. Of the properties inspected, over a third were damp or suffering from mould because of leaks or inadequate heating.

Council officers will now start contacting landlords and managing agents and information will be posted on the council website.

Once in place, landlords will have three months to register unless they already hold a licence. Landlords who fail to get a licence could be fined or issued with a civil penalty notice.