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What do you need to do to keep an HMO safe?

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Do you need to carry out a PAT test, EICR, or fire risk assessment in an HMO?

This guide will show you how to stay legally compliant and protect your tenants.

What is an HMO?

A house of multiple occupation, or HMO, is a type of rental property where certain facilities are shared between tenants.

The Government’s definition of an HMO is a property where the toilet, bathroom, and kitchen facilities are shared between tenants. Three or more tenants must live in the property, forming more than one family unit.

A ‘large’ HMO is one that is shared by five or more tenants.

All large HMOs must be licensed by the local authority. Other smaller HMOs may or may not need to be licensed – different local authorities will have different regulations.

Is PAT testing a legal requirement for HMOs?

Do HMO landlords have to do PAT tests? The answer depends on the location of your property.

PAT testing in HMOs in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland is not a legal requirement. However, your local authority may ask for proof of PAT testing to license your property.

HMO properties in Scotland must have PAT testing carried out as part of an ‘electrical safety inspection’ every five years.

Even if PAT testing is not required as part of the licensing process, it’s an effective and efficient way of ensuring the electrical equipment in your property is safe.

Find out more about HMOs, landlords, and PAT testing requirements

HMOs and EICRs

All rental properties in England, Wales, and Scotland, regardless of whether they are HMOs or not, must have EICR inspections carried out every five years.

Find out more about HMOs, landlords, and EICR inspections

HMOs and fire risk assessments

It’s crucial that HMOs are protected against the risk of fire. Occupants of an HMO are more at risk of dying or being seriously injured than any other type of rental property.

A fire risk assessment will identify any fire hazards in an HMO and what needs to be done to ensure residents can safely exit the building in an emergency.

As part of the HMO licensing process, landlords will be asked to provide a copy of a recent fire risk assessment.

Find out more about HMOs, landlords, and fire risk assessments

Our Google Reviews

5.0

Based on 203 reviews

Julie Hutson

09:37 02 Apr 26

We have been using Hawkesworth for many years. They provide a first class service, with friendly knowledgeable staff.

Kealey Manvell

17:58 19 Feb 26

Great service - arrived on time to carry out PAT testing with no fuss! Would highly recommend!

Kirsty Jones

14:39 19 Feb 26

Easy communication with a reliable and efficient service.

Steve Widnell

09:55 18 Feb 26

Friendly, efficient and helpful service from the engineer

L Vaughan

14:53 11 Feb 26

Can I just say that Alistair was a great ambassador for your company and was really efficient, professional and friendly.

Paul Cowell

15:35 28 Jan 26

We had our yearly Pat Testing completed. The operative was very friendly and helpful. I would recommend to anyone who is considering using Hawkesworth and we will definitely be using them moving forward annually ...

Sophie Hodkinson

16:36 13 Jan 26

Both very professional, approachable and very well organised, which made the whole process run smoothly. Everything was explained clearly, disruption was kept to a minimum, and it was obvious they take pride in doing the job properly.

Several people commented on how efficient and pleasant you were to deal with.

Thanks again for your hard work — it was genuinely appreciated. We would be more than happy to have the same engineers again next year.

Chris Holbrow

16:04 11 Dec 25

I’ve been using Hawkesworth for over seven years across various businesses for PAT testing, and they have consistently delivered an outstanding service. The booking and planning team are always friendly, helpful, and efficient, making the process smooth from start to finish.
The engineers they send are professional, polite, and trustworthy, qualities that really matter when working on-site in financial businesses. Our regional office managers have repeatedly commented on how impressed they were with the care and consideration shown during testing, both for our property and our staff.
Hawkesworth truly go above and beyond to provide a turnkey solution that ensures PAT testing is carried out correctly and with minimal disruption. I would 100% recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable, customer-focused company.

Thank you, Hawkesworth!

Nicholas Burn

11:42 04 Dec 25

As a new customer of Hawkesworth, I wanted to share my positive experience after using multiple services. From the moment I submitted an online enquiry, I received an immediate response—Debbie was incredibly helpful in explaining all the services Hawkesworth offers.

The follow-up process was seamless, with appointments scheduled promptly and honored as agreed. Every engineer who visited our site delivered exceptional service. They kept us informed about upcoming visits, arrived on time, and throughout the work, they were attentive to our company’s needs, going above and beyond to ensure excellent customer care.
The services provided included PAT testing, fire extinguisher checks, and emergency lighting inspections.

Based on this experience, I would highly recommend Hawkesworth to other businesses.

Gaby Wilks

07:20 28 Oct 25

GeneFirst Ltd has been using Hawkesworth Appliance Testing for the last 2 years at our current site location.
Last year I had the pleasure of meeting Kobla Dogbatse the PAT engineer from Hawkesworth and he was fantastic.
Kobla, was efficient and thorough with his work, he was polite and pleasure to have on site.
He was respectful to all staff members by trying to limit any distraction or disturbance when conducting his work on any appliances that the team would be using.
This year I was lucky enough to have Kobla come back and I was thrilled to have him back as I knew the work would be done to the highest standards.
I allowed him to continue with his work without supervision and once finished he came into my office with a smile on his face and said everything is done and its all good.
I would highly recommend Hawkesworth to other companies as they are efficient with their communication and their engineers are a pleasure to have on site.
Thank you again for the great work and I hope to continue using your services in the future.