HMO compliance guide
The questions a council inspector asks about your HMO, in one short guide. Free, and it lands in your inbox.
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Send me the free HMO guide
For landlords with three or more HMOs
Your HMO portfolio, run for you.
The HMO and portfolio management specialist, built by landlords. Our system watches every certificate date, rent payment, repair and empty room. A person checks every result. You get the summary, and a call only when a decision is yours.
Explore how we can take the portfolio off your hands - no obligation.
- 3+ HMOs? Fixed quote within one working day
- Flat fees, no percentages
- Property Redress Scheme member
- UK-wide, run remotely
Compliance watchExample: 6-bed HMO, Southampton · checked daily
Live
- Gas safety recordvalid · 214 days
- EICR (electrics)valid · 3 yrs 2 mths
- HMO licence conditionsall met
- Flat roof inspection (insurance condition)contractor booked
- More checks in the full health check
Systems watch every dateA person checks every result
Gas safetyEICR (electrics)Smoke and CO alarmsHMO licenceEPCDeposit protectionRight to rentInsurance conditions
+ the rest of our checklist
Landlords ourselvesAward-winning HMO investors. Every process runs on our own houses first.
Ten years of refiningOne system for dates, rent, repairs and rooms, built and improved over about a decade.
Flat, published feesPer property and per room. No percentage of your rent, ever.
Regulated and registeredProperty Redress Scheme member PRS004652. Company number 09794487.
The system behind it
One system. Every job. Done for you.
Hundreds of connected workflows, fields and checks working on your portfolio around the clock. Illustration.
Illustration · example events
- Rent
- Repairs
- Compliance
- Lettings
- Voids
- Tenants
- Money
- It never forgets. A date is a date. The reminder goes out whether or not anyone is busy that week.
- It does the first step for you. Renewal due? The engineer is asked. Rent late? The reminder is sent. Room empty? The advert goes live.
- A person checks every result. Certificates are read, quotes are compared, exceptions come to a human, and only the decisions that are yours come to you.
Before and after
What changes when you hand it over
The same jobs still happen. The difference is who remembers, who chases, and who holds the evidence.
Doing it yourself, or a typical agent
- Certificate dates live in a spreadsheet you have to remember to open
- Licence and insurance conditions sit in a PDF nobody re-reads
- A repair means phone tag, then one quote, then a chaser
- Viewings arranged by message ping-pong, no-shows unexplained
- Rent checked by eye against the bank statement
- Evidence scattered across inboxes, photos and drawers
- A fee that rises every time your rent does
With DiffeRENT
- Every date watched daily, reminders at 60, 30 and 14 days, renewals booked for you
- Licence and insurance conditions tracked like certificates
- Builder quotes requested in one click, repair status tracked to completion
- Viewings booked and confirmed by text, referencing chased
- Rent received, matched to each room, statement produced
- Every certificate, quote and visit logged with evidence, ready for a council, insurer or buyer
- A flat fee per property and per room, published in full
What we take off your plate
The jobs that eat your week. Handled.
Every item below is included in end-to-end management. Tagged "Live" where our system already runs it today.
Rent and arrears01
- Rent chasing and arrearsIn the service
- Possession case trackingIn the service
- Landlord statementsIn the service
- Rent received and reconciledIn the service
- Records ready for council, insurer or buyerIn the service
Repairs and maintenance02
- Builder quotes in one clickLive
- Repair status to completionLive
- Emergency call-outsIn the service
- Boiler servicingIn the service
- Blocked pipes and drainsIn the service
Lettings and voids03
- Void monitoringIn the service
- Viewings with SMS confirmationsLive
- Referencing progress chasedLive
- Holding depositsLive
- Check-ins and check-outsIn the service
Compliance and the house04
- Certificate renewals and remindersLive
- Licence conditionsIn the service
- Insurance conditionsIn the service
- Mould and damp checksIn the service
- Cleaners, bins and gardeningIn the service
Rent and arrears
- Rent reviews and increase noticesIn the service
- Monthly owner statementsIn the service
- Annual portfolio reviewIn the service
- Deposit protection and prescribed informationIn the service
- Deposit deduction evidenceIn the service
- Deposit return and disputesIn the service
- Payment plans agreed and trackedIn the service
- Bank payments matched to each roomIn the service
- Year-end income and expense summariesIn the service
- Insurance claim paperworkIn the service
Repairs and maintenance
- Contractor vetting and insurance checksIn the service
- Invoices checked against quotesIn the service
- Key and access managementIn the service
- Pest controlIn the service
- Window and gutter cleaningIn the service
- Communal cleaning schedulesIn the service
- Appliance repairs and replacementsIn the service
- Redecoration between tenanciesIn the service
- Flat roof and gutter checksIn the service
- Out-of-hours triageIn the service
Lettings and voids
- Tenant welcome packsIn the service
- Right to rent checksIn the service
- Tenancy agreements and signingIn the service
- InventoriesIn the service
- Room-by-room inspectionsIn the service
- End-of-tenancy cleansIn the service
- Utility and council tax setupIn the service
- Broadband setupIn the service
- Meter readingsIn the service
- Room adverts and photosIn the service
Compliance and the house
- HMO licence applications and renewalsIn the service
- Council inspection liaisonIn the service
- Licence condition reportingIn the service
- Alarm testing recordsIn the service
- Fire door checksIn the service
- Emergency lighting testsIn the service
- Insurance renewal remindersIn the service
- EPC renewalsIn the service
- Noise and neighbour issuesIn the service
- Anti-social behaviour loggingIn the service
All of this from £97 per property + £97 per room a month.
Get my fixed monthly quoteServices
Start small. Hand over as much as you like.
Every landlord starts somewhere different. Pick the step that fits, and move up when you're ready.
The comprehensive HMO compliance handbook
The answers: every duty, the rule behind it, how to fix it and by when. Licensed to the buyer, with your name on every page.
£47
See what's in the handbook - £47
HMO health check
£297 per HMO
We review your certificates, licence and paperwork and send back a written report: what's in order, what's missing, how serious each gap is, and how to fix it.
- £147 for a single let
- Once you've paid, you get a private one-time questionnaire link for that property
- Written report back to you, property by property
Compliance monitoring
£47 per property / month
Watch
We work alongside you or your current agent, keep an eye on every date, chase renewals and send a monthly one-page status.
£97 per property / month
Watch + Arrange
As Watch, plus we arrange and book all the certificates and safety checks for you. The contractor's own charges for the certificates are billed at cost, with your approval.
End-to-end HMO management
£97 per property + £97 per room / month
Compliance, lettings, tenants, maintenance and reporting. Tell us your houses and room counts and we'll come back with a fixed monthly quote within one working day.
Tenant-find and additional service fees apply - see our fee schedule
Get my fixed monthly quoteHow it works
Three steps to a portfolio that runs itself
Health check
We show you where you stand. You answer a short questionnaire and we tell you, property by property and in writing.
Share what you've got
Send your documents, photos and a short walk-through video. We load everything into our system.
Relax - we run it
We chase, book, fix and report. You see it all, and get a call only when a decision is yours.
Free HMO risk score
How exposed is your HMO portfolio?
Check your HMO risk score (3 min)Simple facts only. Nothing stored until you ask for your fix-list.
Coming soon
Example figures onlyYour portfolio on one screen
A landlord dashboard with live compliance status, occupancy, rent received and open repairs for every property you have with us.
Example portfolio · 6 HMOs · 38 roomsUpdated just now
Rooms let36 / 38
Certificates due in 60 days3
Open repairs4
Rent in arrears£1,240
EICR renewal, 14 Example RoadBooked
Boiler service, 8 Sample StreetDue in 21 days
Room 4 void, 22 Demo AvenueViewings booked
Example only. Figures shown are illustrative, not real data.
Not sure which plan? Start with your free 3-minute HMO risk score
Pricing
Best fit: landlords with three or more HMOsFlat fees. No percentages.
Every fee is published. Contractor and certificate costs are passed on at cost, with your approval first.
| Feature | HMO health check£297per HMO, one-off · £147 single let | Watch£47per property / month · health check included | Watch + Arrange£97per property / month · health check included | End-to-end management£97 + £97per property + per room / month · health check includedSingle lets: £147 per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMO health check: written report on what's missing, how serious, how to fix it | Included | Includedincluded | Includedincluded | Includedincluded |
| Every certificate, licence and insurance date watched daily | Not included | Included | Included | Included |
| Reminders at 60, 30 and 14 days, renewals chased | Not included | Included | Included | Included |
| Monthly status to you | Not included | Included | Included | Included |
| Works alongside you or your current agent | Included | Included | Included | Not included |
| We arrange and book certificates and safety checks | Not included | Not included | Included | Included |
| Rent, arrears and landlord statements | Not included | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Repairs, quotes and contractors | Not included | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Viewings, referencing, check-ins and voids | Not included | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Tenants and the house: inspections, cleaners, bins | Not included | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Book a health check | Start Watch | Start Watch + Arrange | Get my fixed quote |
HMO health check
£297
per HMO, one-off · £147 single let
- Included: HMO health check: written report on what's missing, how serious, how to fix it
- Not included: Every certificate, licence and insurance date watched daily
- Not included: Reminders at 60, 30 and 14 days, renewals chased
- Not included: Monthly status to you
- Included: Works alongside you or your current agent
- Not included: We arrange and book certificates and safety checks
- Not included: Rent, arrears and landlord statements
- Not included: Repairs, quotes and contractors
- Not included: Viewings, referencing, check-ins and voids
- Not included: Tenants and the house: inspections, cleaners, bins
Watch
£47
per property / month · health check included
- Included: HMO health check: written report on what's missing, how serious, how to fix it
- Included: Every certificate, licence and insurance date watched daily
- Included: Reminders at 60, 30 and 14 days, renewals chased
- Included: Monthly status to you
- Included: Works alongside you or your current agent
- Not included: We arrange and book certificates and safety checks
- Not included: Rent, arrears and landlord statements
- Not included: Repairs, quotes and contractors
- Not included: Viewings, referencing, check-ins and voids
- Not included: Tenants and the house: inspections, cleaners, bins
Watch + Arrange
£97
per property / month · health check included
- Included: HMO health check: written report on what's missing, how serious, how to fix it
- Included: Every certificate, licence and insurance date watched daily
- Included: Reminders at 60, 30 and 14 days, renewals chased
- Included: Monthly status to you
- Included: Works alongside you or your current agent
- Included: We arrange and book certificates and safety checks
- Not included: Rent, arrears and landlord statements
- Not included: Repairs, quotes and contractors
- Not included: Viewings, referencing, check-ins and voids
- Not included: Tenants and the house: inspections, cleaners, bins
End-to-end management
£97 + £97
per property + per room / month · health check included
Single lets: £147 per month
- Included: HMO health check: written report on what's missing, how serious, how to fix it
- Included: Every certificate, licence and insurance date watched daily
- Included: Reminders at 60, 30 and 14 days, renewals chased
- Included: Monthly status to you
- Not included: Works alongside you or your current agent
- Included: We arrange and book certificates and safety checks
- Included: Rent, arrears and landlord statements
- Included: Repairs, quotes and contractors
- Included: Viewings, referencing, check-ins and voids
- Included: Tenants and the house: inspections, cleaners, bins
Worked example
A 6-room HMO on full management: £97 + 6 × £97 = £679 a month, fixed. It stays £679 when you raise the rent. A percentage-of-rent fee goes up every time you do.
- Free HMO compliance guide: £0. Comprehensive HMO compliance handbook: £47.
- Tenant-find and additional service fees apply - see our fee schedule.
- All prices include VAT where applicable. Contractor and certificate costs are charged at cost, with your approval first.
Why DiffeRENT
From landlords, to landlords. Systems and AI, so nothing slips through the net.
01
Landlords ourselves
We run our own shared houses. Every process we use on yours, we use on ours first.
02
Systems watch, people check
Certificates, licence conditions and insurance clauses are tracked every day. Reminders, quotes and bookings go out automatically. A person checks every result.
03
The small print, covered
Flat-roof inspection clauses, licence conditions, alarm servicing. The things that void insurance or lead to fines are exactly what we watch.
04
Flat fees you can plan around
A fixed price per property and per room. No percentage of your rent, and every fee is published.
05
Fast, wherever you are
Viewings booked and confirmed by text, repairs quoted in one round, updates on your phone. UK-wide, with trusted local people on the ground.
06
Evidence-ready records
Every certificate, quote and visit is logged with evidence, ready for a council, an insurer or a buyer.
About us
We built the system we wanted as landlords.
We're award-winning HMO investors and landlords ourselves. Over the years we tried various agents and various pieces of software, and we got fed up with things being missed.
So we built our own system, and we've been refining it for about ten years. We now run it for other landlords, and we're confident it gives HMO landlords a better service than they'd get from most agents.
If you'd like your portfolio to run in the background while you focus on growing it, book a call and let's talk.
I already have an agent. Can you still help?
Yes. The health check and compliance monitoring sit alongside your agent. We check the dates and paperwork and tell you, or them, what needs doing. If you later want us to take over, we onboard the properties and the agent hands across.
How do I know the work is actually being done?
Every date, result, quote and visit is logged in the system with evidence, and you get a clear monthly update. When a decision is yours, you get a call. Nothing is marked done until a person has checked it.
Why per room and not a percentage?
The work in an HMO scales with rooms and tenants, not with rent. A flat fee is easier to plan around and doesn't go up when you raise rents.
What's not in the monthly fee?
Tenant find when a room is re-let, and contractor and certificate costs, which are charged at cost with your approval first. A few additional services, such as inventories and court support, are listed on our fee schedule.
Do you only work in Southampton?
No. We're based in Southampton and run our systems remotely, so we work with landlords across the UK, using trusted local people for viewings, inspections and check-ins.
Is the health check an inspection?
It's a review of documents and answers: the facts and paperwork you give us, checked against current rules. It isn't a site visit, an inspection or legal advice, and certificates are always issued by qualified contractors.
What happens after I pay for a health check?
You get a private one-time questionnaire link for that property. You answer the questions and upload what you hold. We review it and send you a written report.
Do you take on single lets?
Yes. Single let management is £147 per property per month (12-month minimum). We also offer the £147 health check and the handbook.
How quickly can you start?
A health check can start as soon as you've paid and filled in the questionnaire. With three or more HMOs you get a fixed management quote within one working day, and we agree a start date on the call.
Does the site use cookies?
No. This site sets no cookies and uses no analytics, so there's no consent banner to click. Our cookie notice says the same in full.
Our reports and guides are general guidance based on the information provided. They aren't legal advice. Rules change often and we can't guarantee to catch every issue, but everything we publish is checked and we do our best to keep it current.
Book a call
Tell us about your portfolio
Fifteen minutes, no obligation, no hard sell. We'll call you back within one working day. Three or more HMOs? You'll have a fixed quote by then.
- What you have, where it is, who runs it now
- Which step fits: health check, monitoring or full management
- A fixed monthly figure, in writing
Phone023 8181 2088
Before you go
Which suits you?
Three ways to start, from three minutes to a full handover. Southampton, Hampshire and UK-wide.
3 minutes · free
Take the HMO risk score
15 quick questions, instant score, and a written fix-list if you want one. Nothing stored until you ask.
Check my risk score Free guideGet the free HMO guide
The questions a council inspector asks about your HMO, in one short guide, straight to your inbox.
Send me the guide Portfolio landlords · 3+ HMOsBook a free 15-minute call
Explore how we can take the portfolio off your hands - no obligation. Fixed monthly quote within one working day.
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