Saturday 26 Sept. 2026
The HMO Blind Spot : Tenants May Not Know Their Home Needs a Licence
For many private renters, the question of whether their home needs a licence may never cross their mind. But new analysis by Triplit.uk suggests there is a significant information gap between tenants and the licensing system designed to protect them.
England's private rented sector now accounts for approximately 4.7 million households, or 19% of all households (English Housing Survey 2024–25, GOV.UK). Yet research from Barking & Dagenham suggests that many private tenants may not even know that HMO licensing exists.
Only 30% of surveyed private tenants knew about HMO licensing.
As part of Barking & Dagenham Council's 2024 property licensing consultation, residents were asked whether they were aware of the mandatory licensing scheme for larger shared homes. Among 132 private-tenant respondents, only 30% said they were aware of the scheme. Meanwhile, 64% said they were not aware and a further 6% said they did not know (Barking & Dagenham Property Licensing Consultation 2024, Figure 18).
Triplit's analysis of this figure produces a simple but important observation: roughly two out of every three private tenants surveyed in the borough did not know about mandatory HMO licensing before taking part in the consultation. This does not mean that two-thirds of tenants across England are unaware of HMO licensing. The Barking & Dagenham consultation was a local survey and should not be treated as nationally representative.
But it does provide a useful indication of the potential awareness gap facing tenants in the private rented sector.
The awareness gap matters
The issue becomes more significant when tenant awareness is considered alongside what councils are finding when they inspect HMOs. Barking & Dagenham Council reported that 72% of mandatory HMO inspections carried out since 2021 had received a non-compliant rating because hazards were detected.
Barking & Dagenham Property Licensing Consultation 2024, HMO inspection evidence. The council also reported that HMOs in the borough were 20% more likely to have an energy-efficiency rating of D or below than other private rented properties. Barking & Dagenham Council evidence report. The important point is not that every HMO is unsafe or non-compliant. Rather, the local evidence demonstrates why understanding whether a property is subject to licensing can matter to tenants. A tenant who does not know that licensing exists may also be less likely to check whether their property appears on a council's register, understand the standards attached to a licence, or recognise that an unlicensed property may create potential legal remedies.
The problem may extend beyond one borough
The Barking & Dagenham figures are local, but they sit within a wider national enforcement picture. A government study of local-authority enforcement in the private rented sector found that 19% of responding councils estimated that less than half of the licensable HMOs in their area were actually licensed at the time of the survey (Local authority enforcement in the private rented sector, GOV.UK).
That does not mean that 19% of all HMOs in England are unlicensed. It means that 19% of the councils responding to that particular survey estimated that fewer than half of their own licensable HMOs were licensed. For Tripl It, that distinction is important.
What Triplit's analysis suggests
Taken together, the data points to a potential HMO awareness gap:
England has 4.7 million privately rented households (English Housing Survey 2024–25).
In Barking & Dagenham's tenant survey, 64% of private-tenant respondents said they were unaware of mandatory HMO licensing (Barking & Dagenham consultation data).
The same council reported that 72% of mandatory HMO inspections since 2021 were non-compliant because hazards were detected (Barking & Dagenham HMO evidence).
National government research found that 19% of responding local authorities estimated that fewer than half of their licensable HMOs were licensed (GOV.UK local-authority enforcement report).
Tripl It's conclusion is therefore not that most HMOs are unsafe or that most tenants are unaware of licensing. The evidence does not support either claim. The more defensible conclusion is that there is a meaningful information gap worth addressing: some tenants may be living in properties subject to licensing requirements without knowing what those requirements are or how to check whether their landlord has complied. For tenants, checking whether a property requires a licence, and whether it actually has one, can therefore be a useful part of understanding their housing situation. Triplit.uk is building free tools and resources to make that process easier for renters, including information on HMO licensing and potential Rent Repayment Order claims.
This information is for educational purposes, general guidance and is not legal advice. The rules can differ depending on where your property is located and the circumstances of your tenancy.