Certain buildings cannot be defined as Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) and are exempt from HMO licensing.
Buildings managed or controlled by specific organisations
Buildings that are managed or controlled by these organisations:
- The Local Housing Authority
- A Registered Social Landlord
- The Police
- The Fire and Rescue Authority
- The National Health Service
Buildings regulated by other Acts
Any building whose occupation is specifically regulated by another Act of Parliament is not classified as an HMO.
For example, boarding houses used exclusively by boarding schools which are regulated under the Children Act 1989 as amended by the Care Standards Act 2000 and the Education Act 2011.
These buildings must be managed in accordance with the Department for Education’s ‘Boarding schools: National Minimum Standards’.
Religious buildings
Any building (excluding Section 257 HMOs, which still applies) which is occupied principally for the purposes of a religious community whose principal occupation is prayer, contemplation, education or the relief of suffering.
Related content
See Temporary Exemption Notice (TEN) for a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)
