County Durham HMO licence standards — what a licence should guarantee
What the licence obliges
An HMO licence in County Durham is not a certificate of cleanliness — it attaches named conditions the landlord must keep: minimum amenities per occupant count (kitchens, bathrooms, toilets), the permitted maximum occupants, management standards (Housing Act 2004 s.234 Management Regulations: fire doors kept shut, escape routes clear, waste arrangements, periodic electrical checks), and Gas Safety / EICR evidence.
How to use the licence against a bad landlord
- Read the actual licence — the register entry names the holder, the address, expiry and permitted occupants.
- Compare reality: more occupants than permitted, blocked escapes, broken amenities — each is evidence.
- Report breaches to County Durham’s housing enforcement team — breaches can trigger improvement notices (non-compliance is itself an RRO-qualifying offence, s.30(1)).
- Dated evidence, always: photos with timestamps, a one-line log of what you saw when.
Overcrowding beyond the permitted cap
If more people live there than the licence permits, the licence is being breached — and overcrowding may itself be a hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Report it; the council's action file becomes your corroboration.
*Reviewed by Sean McNamara against legislation.gov.uk and GOV.UK guidance. 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.