HMO Licence Renewal

Need To Renew Your HMO Licence or Refinance?

Make Sure You Have The Correct Use Class To Avoid Huge Fines & Closure

If you’re an HMO Landlord, it’s important you have the correct Use Class and Permission to operate your property as an HMO.

With regulations now more strict than ever, Councils and Lenders are now requesting evidence of correct Use Class before renewing an existing HMO Licence or accepting a mortgage refinance application.

Non-compliance with HMO Regulations may result in closure notices or even massive fines from the Local Authority.

Cancellation of your HMO Licence means you cannot operate your property as an HMO anymore, thus resulting in lost income and a non-functional HMO.

Check if you have the correct Use Class or Permitted Development (PD) Rights to operate your HMO and reap the rewards for years to come.

Our expert team can take care of the full HMO development journey for you, from concept, planning & building control, through to construction.

HMO Architect offers many services to support you every step of the way, such as; pre-purchase advice calls, existing drawings, and interior design of the highest quality to suit your needs and ideas.

The Solution?- Permitted Development or Retrospective Planning

HMO Licence Renewal - How It Works

Step 1:

The first step is to ensure we fully understand your property situation. We request you to kindly fill in our online form in as much detail as possible including any previous HMO Licences, Planning Decision Notices, Floor Plans etc.

Step 2:

We review all the documentation, local regulations and have a call with you to go through the next steps on how we can help you renew your HMO seamlessly.

For example, whether you already have the correct Use Class and just need a Change Of Use via Certificate Of Lawfulness or need to submit a Full Planning Application.

If you’re making a Lawful Development Certificate Application, we’ll need:

HMO Licensing History since the HMO use started (essential)
Letting Agreements History since the HMO use started (essential)
Evidence of the works carried out to convert the property into HMO (Invoices and quotes from different trades and builders)

We’ll need highly detailed plans, a Design Access Statement, and more for a Full Planning Application.

Step 3:

We then make the relevant application to the Council on your behalf. This includes regular follow-ups and design amendments if any (in case of a Full Planning Application).

"Why only 5 stars? I wish to give 10! The Windsorpatania Team is brilliant. They saved my HMO licence! They have accepted the job 3 days before the deadline. Designed, did research, submitted in time. Hold my hand even with payment and confirmation. Keeps eye on details and council response. Continuous updates and they successfully get the Planning Permission Approved in the first run. Legend! Not just pure luck."

Eszenyi Csaba

HMO Landlord

HMO Licence Renewal - Top Questions

What Is An HMO Licence Renewal?

An HMO Licence Renewal allows you to legally continue operating the property as an HMO (house of multiple occupation) with the correct Licence.

An important point to note is ensuring your property has the correct Use Class.

Based on the Local Regulations you can apply for A Lawful Development Certificate (under PD Rights) for Existing Use, if you’ve been operating the property as an HMO before any Article 4 restrictions were introduced.

If Permitted Development (PD) rights cannot be used (for e.g. due to Article 4 Restrictions) then you’ll need to submit a Full Planning Application.

Why Do I Need To Renew My HMO Licence?

You need an up-to-date valid HMO Licence to continue operating your property as an HMO.

You could face huge fines, closure, or even prosecution if you don’t have a mandatory HMO licence.

What’s Covered In A HMO Licence Renewal?

Our HMO Licence Renewal package includes the following to ensure you are fully compliant to minimize any loss of rental income (cash flow).

This includes:

A thorough evaluation of regulation in your Local Area to assess if you have the correct property Use Class

If it’s determined you don’t have the correct Use Class then
- We’ll need to submit a Change Of Use via Permitted Development (Certificate Of Lawful Development).
- If you can’t use Permitted Development Rights (for example, Article 4 Restrictions apply) then we help you submit a Full Planning Application.
Regular follow-ups with the Local Authority on the status and implementation of any requested amendments.
Re-Submission of Planning Applications with design or other changes as requested by the Local Authority.

Note – Having done over 150+ HMO Projects, we ensure the correct level of concept drawing detail required by the Local Authority for Planning Applications.

Is This A Paid Service?

Yes, this is a paid service.

How Much Does The HMO Licence Renewal Package Cost?

Our HMO Licence Renewal package starts from £1,800 (ex. VAT) and varies depending on the type and complexity of the property including if you can use Permitted Development (PD) rights or need a Full Planning Application.

The actual Licence or Planning Application fee varies by Council and is paid by the Client.

Who Pays The Application Fees For The HMO Licence Renewal?

The Client covers the application fees associated with the HMO Licence Renewal including any Planning Permission or Lawful Development Certificates.

How Long Does The HMO Licence Renewal Take?

It takes us around 2-3 weeks to review Local Regulations and determine if you have the correct Use Class or submit Change Of Use via a Lawful Development Certificate Application via Permitted Development (PD) rights.

If you cannot use Permitted Development (PD) rights, we’ll need to prepare a Full Planning Application assuming you have the correct measurements, drawings, and plans.

If you do not have these, then we’ll need to do a Measured Survey followed by Existing Drawings and Concept Drawings (if any changes).

While there is no guaranteed timeframe with the Planning Application, it can take anywhere from 3 or more up to even 9 months depending on the Local Authority and the scheme’s complexity.

When Should I Do My HMO Licence Renewal?

If you’re unsure whether you have the correct Use Class for your HMO, it’s important you check it as early as possible before your current HMO Licence expires.

With regulations getting tougher, most HMO Licence renewals or remortgages now require evidence of correct Use Class and an up to date HMO Licence.

Do You Go On-Site To Do The Planning Application?

We do NOT go on-site to prepare and submit your Planning Application.

Our Measured Survey (if required) includes a site visit.

What Do I Need To Start The HMO Licence Renewal Process?

If we’re submitting an application for Lawful Development Certificate, we’ll need

HMO Licensing History since the HMO use started (essential)
Letting Agreements History since the HMO use started (essential)
Evidence of the works carried out to convert the property into HMO (Invoices and quotes from different trades and builders)

If you need full planning, we may be able to prepare the plans only using the estate agents’ plans, with minor measures. The preparation of the plans is included in the total fee.

We’ll also need any supporting documentation/correspondence from the Council, or any past decision notices (approvals or rejections).

Once you have the Planning Decision Notice or Certificate Of Lawful Development, we’ll prepare and submit your HMO Licence Renewal Application with planned regular follow-ups with the Council.

I’m Ready To Start, What Do I Do Next?

Please click on the Blue Button below to submit your project details via our online form.
We’ll get in touch to arrange a time to speak that works best for you.

The HMO Lifecycle - Planning

Would You Like To Maximise Your Chance Of Planning Success? Don’t rely on a Submit, Hope & Pray Strategy. Make the Council your design partner.

Book A FREE Discovery Call Today Today or Give Us A Call at (+44) 01223 776 997.

Why Clients Trust HMO Architect

Advisor

We are your Architect & Advisor. With over 15 years of experience investing in HMO’s and Buy-to-Let’s ourselves, we’ve made mistakes and learnt from them. Now we want to advise you so you can avoid costly mistakes.

Creative

With over 750+ consultations and 150+ HMO projects completed, we have a lot of experience with different HMO projects across the country. We help you creatively optimise space to meet your investment goals.

Communication

We are your eyes and ears in interactions with the Council, Builders and External Consultants. We report to to you all the time, every time so you can have complete peace of mind knowing your project is in good hands.

Speed

We understand how important time is to you. Whether securing a deal, getting planning permission, or designing the layout, time is money and we try our best to complete your project on time and budget to the highest quality.

Hear From our clients

Very professional team and great architectural designs for my HMO. They also helped me get planning permission in a very difficult council keeping me updated throughout the process. Loved working with Ryan, Giovanni and the team. Highly recommend them for any architecture work across the country especially HMO and flat conversions.

Excellent joined up advice from the Directors giving you comfort as a landlord that you’re in very capable hands .

I was very impressed with Giovanni at WindsorPatania he was friendly and help explain the project to me in a way I could understand. Being a first time investor I really felt he was more like a partner in my team then an architect.

Exceptional service at all stages of the process from Windsor&Patania. They created a vision of a beautiful home from an under-developed heritage property. They led us through a tricky planning and renovation process with care and attention to detail. And then they followed up with quality assurance and spotting as the project was implemented. And they did all of that with a smile and approachability that you can’t find elsewhere. Strongly recommend for anyone looking to build real quality into their project!

Fantastic company, since using these guys I won’t go anywhere else. They have really helped me maximise my returns from my property investments without compromising the layout or aesthetics of the buildings. Highly recommend.

Fantastic team, really helpful and great communication! I had a challenging project that another architects could not solve but the team at HMO were able to redesign and get planning approved in 6 months from start. I also appreciated that the directors have been investing themselves. Thanks again, highly recommend the team! James

Excellent architectural practice; honest, informative and creative advice by a team of hardworking, qualified professionals!

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