How to check your council’s HMO register (and what to do with the screenshot)
Section 232 Housing Act 2004 obliges every local housing authority to keep a public register of HMO licences. Most bury it. Here's the reliable path:
Step 1 — find the register
Open the council directory, find your council, and use the verified register link. If a direct link isn't listed yet, search the council site for "HMO register" / "houses in multiple occupation licensing", or phone the private sector housing team (contacts on each council page).
Step 2 — search properly
- Search by full postcode, then house number if asked.
- Try the address without flat numbers and with old-format postcodes if nothing appears — registers are keyed inconsistently.
- Check neighbouring numbers: "12a" may be stored as "12A", "12 A", or "12".
Step 3 — interpret the result
- Licence found: check the holder, expiry date, and permitted occupant cap. An expired licence = currently unlicensed.
- No result: the property may be unlicensed — *or* it may not be an HMO at all (fewer than 5 people? see is my house an HMO), *or* the register itself is out of date (councils slip; report it).
Step 4 — preserve the evidence
Screenshot or PDF with the date and URL visible. Do both the search-result page and any detail page. Save to cloud storage. A dated register screenshot is the backbone of an unlicensed-HMO rent repayment claim — see what to do next.
*Reviewed by Sean McNamara. Last verified 2026-09-04.*
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Reviewed by Sean McNamara against legislation.gov.uk, GOV.UK tribunal guidance and council registers. Last verified: 2026-09-04.