New HMO licensing scheme to launch in April in Welsh county

Landlords who run houses of multiple occupancy in a Welsh county will have to comply with a new licencing regime from April 1.

Compulsory HMO licensing was introduced by Welsh Government 11 years ago to allow councils to prevent ‘clustering’ and prevent HMOs having a significant impact on communities – but it has had little impact in Flintshire.

Under the current licensing regulations – which were designed based on student accommodation – properties must be registered if they have five or more occupiers in a building of three storeys or more.

Many HMOs in Flintshire however are two-storey converted homes with three to five occupants. As a result they do not have to be registered.

Flintshire County Council is preparing to introduce local licencing requirements that will apply to HMOs that are too small to be registered with the Welsh Government.

David Fitzsimon, Chief Officer for Planning, Environment and Economy, said: “The introduction of additional HMO licensing was approved by Cabinet following a public consultation.

“The purpose is to improve living conditions across the board in HMOs, as permitted by the Housing Act 2004. The new licensing scheme comes into effect in Flintshire on April 1, 2026 and landlords in the county have been notified.”

Meanwhile councillors will consider a draft report on new interim planning guidance for HMOs this Wednesday.

That interim guidance is designed the help applicants understand the new rules while the new licensing scheme gets up and running.

If approved, the interim guidance will give applicants clarity on what is permitted in terms of HMO density and how Flintshire will factor community impact into its decisions while the new licensing scheme is finalised to help new applications adhere to the upcoming licensing requirements.