New HMO regulations have come into effect in two London boroughs, continuing the rapid development of legislation seen over the past few years.

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Local authorities have picked up the baton with both enforcement and extension of HMO legislation and while the whole sector welcomes safer, better quality homes for renters; the question lingers as to whether more can be done to make the climate more attractive for landlords and changes easier to digest.

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Many landlords we speak to find the pace of change difficult to manage and some are even being deterred from entering the market as a result. At a time of record housing shortage, we need more well-managed shared homes to help meet demand, not fewer. SpareRoom recently published stark figures showing 7 times as many renters looking for room rentals in London than there were rooms available.

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What are the new regulations?

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A recent article in Landlord Today outlines the new regulations that have come into effect in Brent which require any Landlord wishing to rent a new HMO apply for planning permission; this is in addition to the usual HMO licence.

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The purpose of this is to further protect any tenants living in HMOs and working to guarantee living standards in HMOs across the borough.

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As of the 17th November 2022, Haringey has also introduced selective licensing for all properties that come under the below criteria:

• Any dwelling let to a single household
• Any dwelling let to two more sharers

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How can Lyvly help?

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If you are a current landlord or looking to become a landlord, and are unsure about HMO regulations or requirements, then please get in touch.  We manage and support applications for many of our landlords, and are best placed to advise on current changing legislation.

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Not only is Lyvly helping create a more sustainable rental supply in what is a very supply constrained market, but Lyvly can enable a Landlord to retain, maintain, and even grow their portfolio even in the current economic environment of rising interest rates and increased uncertainty.

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If you are a Landlord looking for further advice on anything contained in this blog, please contact us through the form on our website and one of the team will be happy to come back to you.

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As we are keen to continue to amplify our reach and help more landlords and tenants alike, If you know someone with property in London who could benefit from our approach, fill out this form and we’ll be in touch. If things work out with that landlord, £1,000 is yours!

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