Legislation regarding houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) could catch out unprepared landlords as new rules come into effect on October 1st.
Estimates from the Residential Landlords Association put the number of landlords that will be subject to mandatory licensing at 177,000.
Currently, HMO licenses are only required for those properties with three or more storeys that are occupied by five or more people from at least two households.
But the new rules mean that any property with the aforementioned occupation threshold will need a HMO license, regardless of size.
These changes will also affect existing HMO landlords, who may require changes to their properties in order to comply with the new rules. Some may need to make property renovations in order to qualify.
This is because the government is also introducing minimum room sizes for licensed HMOs. Any landlords that do not apply for the necessary paperwork from their local council in time could be subject to unlimited fines or legal action.
Experts recognise that many landlords may be unaware of these changes, especially considering that these new rules are just one of several changes that have impacted them in recent years.