I live in an HMO — what are my rights?

If you live in an HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) — a property shared with two or more unrelated people — you have the same core rights as any other private tenant under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, plus some additional protections specific to shared housing.

An HMO is any property where three or more unrelated people share facilities like a kitchen or bathroom. Many larger HMOs require a licence from the local council. If your HMO should be licensed but isn't, your landlord is breaking the law and you can apply for a Rent Repayment Order.

Your standard tenant rights apply: no Section 21 evictions, a rolling tenancy, the right to challenge rent increases, protection from discrimination, and the right to request a pet. Individual rooms in HMOs also need to meet minimum size standards.

The main difference for HMO tenants is joint vs individual tenancies. In a joint tenancy, all tenants are equally liable — if one person stops paying rent, all tenants are affected. In individual room-by-room lets, you are only responsible for your own rent.

Check your council's website to see if your HMO is on the licensed HMO register. If it should be licensed and isn't, report it to the council's housing enforcement team. You can also check your landlord's obligations around fire safety, room sizes, and facilities by contacting the council or Shelter England (shelter.org.uk).