New Licensing Rules Proposed for HMOs in South London Borough
HMOs rise. Properties stand in one borough. Council notes growth. Council sets a new rule. Rule binds HMOs with three or more strangers. Rule cuts the old five-occupant mark.
If rule holds in spring 2026, landlords face license duty. Landlords must get a license—now and then. License cost pays for close property checks. Officers check standards, fine breaches, and in harsh cases, run bad properties.
Planning stops free home splits. Home split needs a permit. Neighbourhood look stays. Overbuild stops.
Nearby boroughs run like tasks. Inspectors check HMOs sharply. Cases drop. Locals voice worries—noise, parking, refuse, and rude acts stir.
Council asks for public word. Council seeks local input as a means to guard tenants, keep family homes, ease urban strain, and slow rogue acts.
What Investors and Landlords Should Know
Landlords, investors face a shift. New law ties more homes to license tags. Rule covers HMOs with three or more. Change bumps costs and binds rules.
Investors must scan these rules when sizing HMOs. Checks grow. Profit may shrink. Landlords must fix homes so faults do not stack.
Summary
HMOs grow fast, and in one South London borough, a law turns tight. Spring 2026 may see rules that bind all HMOs with three or more strangers. The law ups the mark and arms inspectors with hard check power. In the region, such shifts spread. Landlords and investors must mind the change and work to keep safe.
