Find Every Unlicensed HMO in Your Borough
Unlicensed HMOs cost councils millions in uncollected penalties and put tenants at risk. PRSCheck uses data cross-referencing to surface suspected HMOs that would take officers months to find manually.
Detection signals
PRSCheck identifies suspected HMOs by analysing multiple data sources for patterns that indicate multiple occupation. No single signal is conclusive on its own, but when combined, they produce high-confidence matches.
Council tax vs EPC mismatch
A property paying single-occupancy council tax discount but with an EPC registered as a multi-bedroom dwelling indicates possible undisclosed multiple occupation.
Multiple certificates at one address
Multiple gas safety certificates or EPC assessments at sub-units within a single address is a strong indicator of an HMO that has been subdivided.
Occupancy mismatches
Electoral roll data showing multiple unrelated adults at a property, combined with a single tenancy record, suggests HMO-style occupation.
Planning and building control records
Properties with building control applications for conversions or additional kitchens/bathrooms, without a corresponding HMO licence application.
Fire safety referrals
Fire service referrals or incidents at properties with multiple occupants can flag unlicensed HMOs with inadequate fire safety measures.
Licensing gap analysis
Comparing known rental properties against your mandatory and additional licensing registers to find properties that should be licensed but are not.
How it works
1. Data ingestion
PRSCheck ingests your council tax records, EPC register data, licensing databases, Land Registry titles, and electoral roll data. All data is processed securely within the platform.
2. Cross-reference analysis
Our detection algorithms cross-reference these data sources to identify properties exhibiting HMO signals. Each property receives a confidence score based on how many signals it matches.
3. Prioritised enforcement list
Properties are ranked by confidence score and potential penalty value. Your enforcement team receives a ready-to-action list, starting with the highest-value targets.
Penalty recovery potential
Operating an unlicensed HMO is a criminal offence under the Housing Act 2004. Local authorities can pursue civil penalties as an alternative to prosecution.
£30,000
Maximum civil penalty per offence
Unlimited
Fine on criminal prosecution
24 months
Rent Repayment Order period
Example: borough-wide HMO sweep
200
Suspected unlicensed HMOs identified
85
Confirmed as unlicensed on inspection
£1.4M
Total penalties and RRO income
Based on a medium-sized London borough using PRSCheck to cross-reference council tax, EPC, and licensing data. A 42% confirmation rate is typical, as some properties will have legitimate explanations for the data signals.
Return on investment
HMO enforcement is one of the most financially productive activities a housing team can undertake. Civil penalties alone often exceed the annual cost of PRSCheck many times over, and Rent Repayment Orders return funds directly to tenants.
| Metric | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Average civil penalty per HMO | £17,000 |
| Average RRO per HMO (24 months) | £18,000 |
| Officer time saved per investigation | 4-6 hours |
| Time to first enforcement action | 2-4 weeks |
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