First time landlord - need advice re sharers

[MaryIngalls]

We are moving overseas soon owing to DH's job, and will need to let out our UK family home to cover the mortgage payments. It's a 4 bed mid-terrace in a family area, good location, close to station etc. We have received an offer above the asking price from 2 couples (unmarried I think) who are friends, and want to share the rent. The estate agent seems to think this is no problem at all, but we are a bit hesitant. Moreover they want the property fully furnished. As a landlord, I am not sure what happens should the couples/one of the couples have a falling out and one or more of them decide to move out. WWYD?

[IrisWildthyme]

doesn't sound like a problem to me if that's what they want to do. you just have a clause in the contract that says they are jointly and severally liable for the whole rent - which means that if one couple leaves, the whole rent is still owed.

[tribpot]

Some useful info here and here. There should be no real issue for you in renting to more than one tenant.

Are you intending to use the agency to manage the property for you? If yes, please do make sure they talk this through with you - you are going to pay them a fair whack of cash for possibly not that much on a monthly basis, the least they can do is explain your obligations and the risk profile to you.

Do you want to let the property fully-furnished? Inevitably this stuff is going to get trashed whilst you're away, and some of it will need replacing over time as well. If the tenants decide they like the property and want to stay, they may also want to start buying their own furniture; you're under no obligation to move your own out to facilitate this but it might be worth planning for the possibility. My main concern about fully-furnished would be your liability, i.e. I imagine all the furniture has to be up to the latest fire safety standards. Some basic info here.

[MaryIngalls]

Thanks for the assurance, makes me feel better! They want the property fully furnished, and I don't really mind leaving my stuff behind. My furniture is fairly budget stuff- Ikea, Furniture Village, Harveys, MFI etc. We have taken good care of it and it's all in good condition, but it's 5 years old now. The alternative is to either pay as much as the furniture cost originally to ship it to our new home, or to give it away to charity. So if it needs replacing, hopefully it won't cost me a bomb to replace. But Fire safety standards - no clue!! Thanks for the links, will have a read.

[MaryIngalls]

Oh and yes, it will be agency managed

[VivaLeBeaver]

Theres also something about internal doors if its a multiple occupancy tenancy, not sure if this is classed as one or not. If it is you have to have fire resistant/safety internal doors.

[BertieBowtiesAreCool]

Furniture will meet fire safety regulations if it's only 5 years old. I think they were last changed back in the 90s.

[BertieBowtiesAreCool]

I don't think it counts as a HMO.

[MaryIngalls]

Ok went through the links...I don't have receipts for my furniture and the fire safety labels are long gone. Will have a word with the estate agent. Perhaps I can convince them to buy the furniture from me?

[MaryIngalls]

My estate agent says it counts as HMO only if more than 4 people sharing, the internet is a bit ambiguous on this issue!

[Xmas2013SantaA8770]

I don't think it will be a HMO as there will only be one tanancy with 4 names rather that 4 tenancies with one name iyswim. We rent a four bed two house to 4 sharers, they only have one tanancy between them therefore if one moves out the others have to cover the rent.

[MaryIngalls]

This is Woking in Surrey, it looks like I will need to browse the council website to see how they define HMO

[MaryIngalls]

Going back to fire safety for a minute - though the furniture is all 5 years (or less) old, I don't have any way to prove it. Would it be a bad idea to let furnished in that case?

[specialsubject]

we let to four sharers before the HMO regulations came in. They wanted as much furniture as possible because they didn't have any of their own. Bit of damage and a lot of noise, main issue is that with four you end up with 8.

as you have couples this is less likely - but I think you may find it is an HMO. Talk to the council. In addition to normal letting laws you may have extras.

you make them jointly liable for the rent which means if one wants to leave, the others have to keep paying.

it won't last too long but could be ok while it does.

[MaryIngalls]

And internal doors too - I have no idea if they are fireproof :-( The doors haven't been changed since we moved in, so no way to find out. More and more looks like we may have to go the unfurnished route

[BertieBowtiesAreCool]

www.merseyfire.gov.uk/aspx/pages/furniture/furniture_faq.aspx

If your furniture is under 25 years old and bought in the UK, it will have a label saying it complies with the regulations. You don't have to go around every piece and check. If somebody else wanted to, they would find it!

[BertieBowtiesAreCool]

I am definitely sure that internal doors don't have to be fireproof. That sounds like regulations for new builds and HMOs, not a bog standard rented house.

Or landlord didn't even legally have to provide smoke alarms as the property was too old

[Canthaveitall]

I have 4 people lie in my property and don't need a HMO license. It's not an issue. They sign a short hold tenancy with 4 names. If one moves out they all need to hand their notice in as it's one contract. I have had them move someone else in in which case I have got them to sign a new agreement. If one doesn't pay the rent on time then they are all jointly liable so I have written to them all. The fact they choose to pay separately does not mean I deal with them separately in terms of a shortfall.

The fire issue with furniture only applies to soft furnishing. Most will have a label on - just pull the cushions up on the sofa and check the mattress.

[MaryIngalls]

Just out of interest, there's another potential tenant - 2 brothers with their wives, one of them has a small child. Would it still be HMO, given that they are all related?

[Canthaveitall]

I do know thanks and it is correct. My property does not require a HMO license. See below from a gov website - my property is 2 storeys with 4 unrelated people. My council does not require me to license this currently:

HMOs must be licensed if they have three or more
storeys and are occupied by five or more persons
forming two or more households; this is mandatory
licensing.
Councils also have powers to require licensing of
other HMOs; this is additional licensing.