A local housing authority will grant a licence for a property if it is satisfied that it is reasonably suitable for occupation by not more than a maximum number of households or persons, or that it can be made so suitable by the imposition of conditions.  The property will need to meet minimum standards in terms of the number of bathrooms, toilets, washbasins, showers, cooking and laundry facilities. 

The local housing authority will also need to be satisfied that the house will be managed by someone who is competent and fit to manage it. As these decisions will be made by individual Local Authorities there will inevitably be some differences and discrepancies. Landlords of licensable HMOs will, the Government argues, benefit from receiving support from local housing authorities which should help them to manage their properties more efficiently.  This may be a very mixed blessing!!

Landlords will be able to provide tenants a certain standard of accommodation.  Whether these proposals will be more than an excess use of paper remains to be seen.