HMO licence – Consistency of the Public Register?

I don't know if this will help, but this is the law.

Register of licensed properties
The register includes names and addresses of a property's landlord and any managing agents and
permitted number of occupiers (for HMOs)

Accessing the register
Under section 232 of The Housing Act 2004 the Local Housing Authority is required to maintain and make available a public register of licensed Houses in Multiple Occupations and if requested, to provide a copy of the register.

The public register will not show any applications that are currently being processed, as this information is not for public record until the licence is issued.

Welcome to the world of being a HMO Landlord.
Not wait till you get weekly letters from Rent To Rent companies asking to Buy or Manage your HMO along with lots of other companies offering there services. 🤔

Reply to the comment left by Small Portfolio Landlord at 19/02/2024 - 10:54
I have expressed my views on HMOs previously. My mortgagor was contacted 2 months before the License was completed. They in turned threatened me with tracing agents and repossession as I have a BTL fixed rate to August 2025 and cannot change the product currently to an HMO mortgage. The council intentionally forcing landlords arms to bolster Single family homes. Its covert methodology. 1.5 million landlords with i suppose big voting sway. I intend very much to stay at home on election day and watch the conservatives implode.

Yes disgusting isn't it. We said same with Selective Licensing, hang on when I go in a petrol station, does the attendant have her address on her forehead?

And we know how many tenants want to shoot Landlords.

Does it have to be home address, or address for service?

West Northants puts the whole thing online. It's fine, my house is covered in CCTV, the only incident was hand-delivered threatening notes at 3am from a neighbour of one of my HMO's, but after the second one, the police contacted them and it stopped. The endless R2R letters just go in the recycling.

Reply to the comment left by David Houghton at 19/02/2024 - 19:08
The address published in my council has to be the person responsible for the licence. Which can be the agent or a company, but in this case it is me. It must be my home address, not any address for service etc

Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 19/02/2024 - 13:12
Luckily my tenants are pretty good and they know my address because it must be on the lease. However a publicly searchable database is what I have a problem with. There are certain people that I don't want to know where I am. I have redacted all references to me on Google but now I can be found by searching the local Council database and bing you get my home address

Reply to the comment left by Small Portfolio Landlord at 19/02/2024 - 10:54So I dug out the law (full copy of Section 232 below)
The key part is
(7)In this section “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the appropriate national authority.
Any idea who are the appropriate national authority?

Having said that it seems to give carte blanche to the local housing authority to publish what they like

(2) The register may, subject to any requirements that may be prescribed, be in such form as the authority consider appropriate.

232Register of licences and management orders
(1)Every local housing authority must establish and maintain a register of—
(a)all licences granted by them under Part 2 or 3 which are in force;
(b)all temporary exemption notices served by them under section 62 or section 86 which are in force; and
(c)all management orders made by them under Chapter 1 or 2 of Part 4 which are in force.
(2)The register may, subject to any requirements that may be prescribed, be in such form as the authority consider appropriate.
(3)Each entry in the register is to contain such particulars as may be prescribed.
(4)The authority must ensure that the contents of the register are available at the authority’s head office for inspection by members of the public at all reasonable times.
(5)If requested by a person to do so and subject to payment of such reasonable fee (if any) as the authority may determine, a local housing authority must supply the person with a copy (certified to be true) of the register or of an extract from it.
(6)A copy so certified is prima facie evidence of the matters mentioned in it.
(7)In this section “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the appropriate national authority.

I found the regulations

The Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006

The key Section is 11

11.—(1) The following particulars are prescribed for each entry in a register established and maintained under section 232(1)(a) of the Act in respect of a licence granted under Part 2 (HMOs) or 3 (selective licensing) of the Act which is in force—

(a)the name and address of the licence holder;
(b)the name and address of the person managing the licensed HMO or house;
(c)the address of the licensed HMO or house;

So basically my home address information must be in the public domain! I am just unlucky that I get a council who choose to put the complete information on their website.

I am at a loss as to why it needs to be so readily available