From handling the licence application process to advice on new HMO developments, we can help to ensure your property business remains compliant. Local Housing Allowance. By challenging them with difficult questions at Council meetings, we have uncovered that they: 1. The council have a fully integrated online application system. It is important to note that new absolute minimum bedroom sizes for licensed HMOs have been introduced for HMO licence applications approved on or after 1 October 2018: The council can still ask for larger minimum sizes. … Do I need planning permission for my HMO? It is bordered by the boroughs of Kingston to the west, Sutton to the south, Croydon and Lambeth to the east and Wandsworth to the north. Instead, you can download an application form from the council’s website, print it out and complete it by hand. HMO LICENCE FEES (Draft – May 2019) Current Licence Fee The full fee must accompany application for an HMO Licence. Whether you a looking for a letting agent, want a property inventory for a new tenancy or fire risk assessment, we have got it covered - and far more besides! According to the report, the council’s existing licensing team will be expanded from 22 to 29 officers to implement the new additional licensing scheme. A retired GP, who failed to obtain an HMO licence for a house in Colliers Wood, despite having up to nine tenants, was ordered to pay £4,613 at Lavender Hill Magistrates Court on Friday 25 October. You will need planning permission if you are changing your property from a single-family property to a house in multiple occupation (HMO) occupied by more than six people. You can find further information about Article 4 Directions on the council's website. Civic Centre Can you transfer a mandatory HMO, additional or selective licence to a new owner? Council and local information. Financial Penalties – not limited to just landlords and agents? You must have a licence for every home you rent out privately in Newham. Alternatively, the council can issue you with a civil penalty notice of up to £30,000 for not having the correct licence without any warning being given, so this is really serious stuff. … Councils can charge up to £30,000 for each offence, although this amount is a deterrent for persistent rogue offenders. Havering Council has introduced a standard application fee of £900 per property for all additional and selective licences. There are landlord accreditation schemes operated by the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme, the National Landlords Association (NLA) and the Residential Landlords Association (RLA). When applying for a licence a landlord is asked to provide a management statement and evidence what management practices they have in place to prevent, and where necessary manage, problems that might arise during a tenancy. You can also find companies offering a wide range of other goods and services to help you manage your property portfolio and achieve compliance. In August 2016, we checked with Merton Council and found that there is currently no HMO Article 4 Direction in force and there are no plans to introduce one. This means that you do not need planning permission for a change of use from a single-family property (use class C3) to a small HMO shared by three to six unrelated residents (use class C4), although the situation could change in the future. All landlords, letting agents and property managing agents who let houses in multiple occupation may need to apply for an HMO licence. Pay now Apply for a discount View your account Apply for a refund Tell us you've moved Landlords: tell us about a change in tenancy Submit evidence Bands and charges If you don't pay Who has to pay Dispute a missing payment Appeals When someone dies Set up a summons payment arrangement Service standards Give us feedback Council tax documents Your starter for TEN: temporary exemptions to property licensing, New civil penalty regime marks a step change in housing regulation, Investigating carbon monoxide poisoning in private rented homes. Haven't even looked at the idea of a licensing scheme for landlords. Tel:     020 8545 3212 Council proposed adding a licence condition requiring wash hand basins in every bedroom. Housing Solutions 3rd Floor Merton Civic Centre London Road Morden SM4 5DX. If you need help understanding the property licensing rules in Merton you have come to the right place! Fitness For Human Habitation Act places new obligations on private and social landlords. Coronavirus Act 2020: Information for private housing landlords. This is the third prosecution of a rogue landlord by Merton Council for breaches of the Housing Act 2004, in the last three months. New suppliers are regularly being added and we would encourage you to take a look. This is the second prosecution of a rogue landlord by Merton Council in the last three months. Prior to this change it was only mandatory if the HMO had five or more tenants belonging to two or more households in a building of three or more storeys. Haven't even looked at the idea of a licensing scheme for landlords. It may also be difficult if you limit yourself to only a certain type of property in a particular area. The Private Rented Service have developed a landlord tool kit which includes guidance on writing your management statement and document … ENDS . Get a licence to rent out your property as a house in multiple occupation (HMO) in England or Wales - local authority, private renting, landlords, houseshare A revised occupancy limit of four people in four households was agreed (case ref: 224) 2019 South East England: mandatory HMO licence. Private rented accommodation is advertised in various ways, but is most commonly available through letting or accommodation agencies, local newspapers, shop windows and by word of mouth. The landlord may or may not live in the house. Lettings agents and property managers: redress schemes. If you find that you need a licence for your rented property our support doesn’t end there. How many wash hand basins are required in a licensed HMO? Failure to do so could result in the council taking enforcement action. Do I need a licence to rent out my property? Short … But what are these tests and what does this mean in practice? Merton Council Overview and Scrutiny Commission Date: 11 September 2019 Time: 7.15 pm Venue: Committee rooms C, D & E - Merton Civic Centre, London Road, Morden SM4 5DX AGENDA Page Number 1 Apologies for absence 2 Declarations of pecuniary interest 3 Minutes of the meeting held on 4 July 2019 1 - 6 4 Minutes of the meeting held on 14 August 2019 7 - 14 5 Crime and policing in Merton 15 - … "And yet Merton Council is barely doing anything to help them. Temporary Exemption Notices and the extended time period for Notices Seeking Possession. 2. They were updated in September 2018 and can be downloaded from the council’s website. By January 2018, there were 271 accredited landlords, by January 2019 there were 377 accredited landlords and by January 2020 there were 403 accredited landlords which is now the third lowest number when compared to all the London boroughs. H… So that would be £1,100 for a three storey shared house with five single person lettings. While this will be good news for some landlords, it does make the licensing scheme far more complicated. Telephone: 020 8545 4151 Email: housingsolutions@merton.gov.uk Website: www.merton.gov.uk. here. Find out about and apply for a property licence. You risk being prosecuted by the council and if found guilty you could get a criminal record, be fined an unlimited amount and ordered to pay court costs and a victim surcharge. We’ll keep an eye on things and let you know if anything changes. To apply for a licence, set up an account on the property licensing portal. Hannah Doody, Merton Council’s director of community and housing, said: “This is another great result and I hope our success in securing prosecutions, leading to hefty fines will serve as warning to any rogue landlords who breach the regulations for HMOs in Merton. HHSRS national survey launched today: have your say! The council estimate the running costs for the two licensing schemes will be £21.07 million, with full costs to be recovered from licence application fees paid by local landlords. If you find that you need a licence for your rented property our support doesn’t end there.