The Property NomadsExpertcast 6 - HMO's and HMO Compliance with Ian Denston
In this episode of the Expertcast series, Rob is with Ian Denston Environmental Health Officer and Landlord who specialises in the housing side of Environmental Health including HMOs.
Ian trains landlords on HMO compliance and shares key advice for anyone who is an HMO landlord or looking to become one. There is a considerable amount of regulation around HMOs and getting it right and being compliant is very necessary as it’s an area where strict liability applies and tenants may not be in a position to look after themselves.
Ian and Rob discuss both the challenges and the rewards of HMOs in this informative episode packed with great advice and content.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
- HMOs are a regulatory nightmare so it’s important to understand what you are doing
- The one environmental factor that affects people more than anything is housing
- The system of inspection and regulations applies to every property even your own home. There are inherent risks in the home because we spend large amounts of time there.
- You have to protect tenants because they may not be able to protect themselves.
- There are 2 main areas for regulations with HMOs, planning and environmental health.
- If you have an HMO that doesn’t require a licence you are still subject to the HMO regulations.
- Councils do look at landlords for income and a way to achieve this is through cost for non-compliance.
- Penalty notices are civil offences and when pursued the council gets the money.
- It’s up to the landlord to find out what they need to do to be compliant and if you don’t do something because you didn’t know you are still responsible.
- The one area that is well funded is HMO licensing because of the income it gets from landlords.
- You have to invest in yourself and your knowledge because the consequences of not knowing are significant.
- If you have an HMO that needs a licence and you haven’t got one then the tenants can claim the rent back for up to a year.
BEST MOMENTS
‘You can turbocharge your property investments if you have HMOs and they are run well’
‘Strict liability is where it’s no defence to say you didn’t know’
‘The difference between a licenced HMO and an unlicensed HMO is the cost of the licence’
VALUABLE RESOURCES
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-property-nomads-podcast/id1440016017
The Property Nomads - Stitcher
Buy To Let: How To Get Started – By Rob Smallbone (Amazon)
Email office@ehhs-uk.co.uk
ABOUT THE GUEST
Ian Denston
Ian is a Chartered Environmental Health Officer with over 30 years of experience in the sector. Ian is also a landlord, has run a lettings agency for over 10 years and has also been teaching investors for nearly 15 years. Ian specialises in the housing side of Environmental Health including HMOs.
ABOUT THE HOST
Rob Smallbone the host of The Property Nomads Podcast, is on a global mission to guide your success. Success can happen in many ways, shapes and forms. Think about what success means to you. More properties? More clients? Financial freedom? Time freedom?
Rob wants to make a huge difference to people around the world. He is here to guide your success in property, business and life and to inspire you to achieve your goals, dreams and visions. He's travelled, explored, and invested. And he's not planning on stopping these activities anytime soon.
Buckle up, sit tight and enjoy the ride that is life.
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