Secret HMO database

According to website Property Investment Expert local councils are maintaining a confidential database on private shared housing landlords across London.

The information classes a landlord as “good, bad or average” and is the basis of decisions of whether the landlord is a fit and proper person to get a licence for managing a house in multiple occupation (HMO).

Precise details of the information kept on the database is sketchy, but councils check several details about a property owner or the person they elect as the manager before granting an HMO licence, like:

* does the landlord have convictions relating to violence, drugs , sexual offences, or fraud.

* have they breached housing, landlord, tenant or unlawful discrimination laws

* has the landlord contravened any HMO code of practice as the owner or manager of any other HMO


Other councils outside London are also adding landlord information according to Property Investment Expert - and the database could become a countrywide tool for councils to track HMO landlords.

Does anybody have experience of this? Please let us know.

Landlord insurance