DIY InventoryGeneral information for England as at October 2026, not legal advice. HMO rules and licensing differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and between councils; check gov.uk, your council or a qualified adviser for your situation.
An HMO inventory records the condition of every shared area (kitchen, bathrooms, hallways, garden) and each tenant’s own room, with dated photos and the meters, keys and fire safety equipment. If rooms are let on separate tenancies, do a check-in for each tenant’s room plus the communal areas as they were on the day that tenant moved in, and have each tenant sign their own report. That way each deposit can be judged on its own evidence.
What is an HMO?
A house in multiple occupation (HMO) is a home let to at least 3 people who form more than one household and share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. A “household” is a single person, a couple, or a family living together. So three friends sharing a house is an HMO; a couple with their two children is not.
Do I need an HMO licence?
- Mandatory licensing: any HMO in England let to 5 or more people from 2 or more households who share facilities needs a licence from the council. Purpose-built blocks of 3 or more self-contained flats are generally excluded.
- Additional licensing: councils can require licences for smaller HMOs (for example 3 or 4 sharers) across all or part of their area.
- Selective licensing: some councils require a licence for ordinary single lets too, in chosen areas.
A licence usually lasts up to 5 years and comes with conditions: maximum numbers, minimum room sizes (at least 6.51 square metres for one adult sleeping, 10.22 for two), fire safety, waste storage and providing certificates on request. Letting a licensable HMO without one is an offence; councils can prosecute or impose large civil penalties, and tenants can apply for rent repayment orders. Apply through the gov.uk HMO licence page, which links to your council.
Joint tenancy or room lets: whose inventory is it?
| Joint tenancy (whole house) | Room lets (separate tenancies) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who signs | All tenants sign one inventory | Each tenant signs their own |
| What it covers | The whole property | Their room in full, plus the communal areas |
| Deposit | Usually one deposit, shared liability | A deposit per tenant, each protected separately |
| When | At the start and end of the tenancy | Every time a room changes hands |
In a room-let HMO, people move in and out at different times. The communal kitchen on the day tenant A moved in may look very different when tenant D arrives a year later. Record the communal areas fresh at every move-in, or a deduction for a damaged worktop can’t be fairly pinned on anyone.
What to include in an HMO inventory
Each tenant’s room
- Door, lock and its keys (room key, plus any front door key or fob).
- Walls, ceiling, floor or carpet, skirting, window, blind or curtains.
- Furniture supplied: bed and mattress, wardrobe, desk, chair, drawers, with marks noted.
- Sockets, lights, radiator, and any fire door closer or alarm in the room.
- An en-suite, if there is one, recorded like a bathroom.
Communal areas
- Kitchen: oven, hob, extractor, fridges and freezers, worktops, sink, cupboards (which belong to whom), bins. See the kitchen checklist.
- Bathrooms and WCs: sealant, tiles, extractor fans, signs of damp.
- Hallways, stairs and landings: carpet wear, fire doors and closers, emergency lighting if fitted.
- Living room, utility room, garden and bin store.
Safety and services
- Smoke, heat and CO alarms, fire blankets and extinguishers, with a photo of each and whether it worked.
- Gas, electricity and water meter readings with photos, especially if bills are split between tenants.
- Copies of the Gas Safety record, EICR and EPC given to each tenant. See landlord safety certificates.
HMO management duties to bear in mind
Whether licensed or not, every HMO in England is covered by the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006. The manager must keep the communal areas clean and in good repair, keep fire escapes clear and fire safety equipment maintained, display their name and contact details, supply the Gas Safety record to the council on request, and have the electrics tested regularly. Regular inspections of the shared areas help you meet these duties and show that you did. Our mid-tenancy inspection checklist works well for HMOs.
Room lets and the Renters’ Rights Act
Since 1 May 2026, room lets in England are assured periodic tenancies like any other. Tenants can leave on 2 months’ notice, so turnover in a shared house may be less predictable. A short check-in and check-out per room, done on the day, keeps each deposit separate. There is also a possession ground for student HMOs let to full-time students, so a house can be re-let for the next academic year. See our Renters’ Rights Act guide.
Doing HMO inventories on your phone
With DIY Inventory you can add the communal rooms and each bedroom, take at least 8 photos per room with the date and time burned in, and record each item’s condition, marks and cleanliness. Each tenant can check, comment on and sign their report from a link. When a room is re-let, the check-out can start from that tenant’s check-in and show what changed, with photos side by side. It costs £30 per report, with no subscription, and our free landlord dashboard keeps your licence and certificate dates with reminders.
Questions
Do I need a separate inventory for each room in an HMO?
If rooms are let on separate tenancies, yes: each tenant should sign an inventory of their room plus the communal areas as they were when they moved in. A joint tenancy needs one inventory signed by all the tenants.
How do you handle communal areas when tenants move in at different times?
Record the communal areas again at each move-in and check-out. That shows their condition on the day each tenant arrived and left, so damage can be fairly attributed.
When does an HMO need a licence?
In England, an HMO with 5 or more people from 2 or more households sharing facilities needs a mandatory licence. Many councils also license smaller HMOs, so check with yours on gov.uk.
What is the minimum room size in an HMO?
In a licensed HMO in England, a room used for sleeping by one adult must be at least 6.51 square metres, and 10.22 square metres for two adults. Councils can set higher standards.
Can I deduct from one tenant’s deposit for damage to a shared kitchen?
Only if the evidence shows that tenant caused it. With room lets, dated records of the communal areas at each move-in and move-out are what make that possible.
Updated 27 October 2026