Tenancy turned into an HMO

Landlord Discussion Legal
1

So I had an AST with two separate lady tenants on the contract. After they left a neighbour told me that one of them had a young daughter and dog also at the flat and and a frequent man staying at the flat without permission. The tenancy agreement states that only tenants and occasional visitors can stay and no pets without permission.

My understanding is that 3 residents in 2 families turns this into an HMO with much stricter fire regulations. The local authority also has a mandatory and additional HMO registration scheme so I may be in breach of HMO regulations.

Should I be taking action against these tenants for breach of contract and HMO regulations?

2

I would let sleeping digs lie if I were you, but make sure that in future you ensure your tenancy agreement says that only the tenants can live there and that you carry out quarterly inspections to verify that this is the case. That way even if the tenants turn it into an HMO, you have time to start eviction proceedings and a defence to any prosecution proceedings brought by the local authority.

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