Many thousands of landlords who own flats in converted houses may be in for a surprise when a clause of the Housing Act comes into force, writes David Lawrenson.

Since July 2006 it has been a mandatory requirement for landlords with HMOs that have three or more storeys and five or more tenants to apply for a license for each property (and in some areas licensing extends to smaller HMOs too.)

Failure to apply for a license could land landlords with fines up to £20,000.

What few people realise is that the rules contain another set of definitions of houses in multiple occupation that include pre-1991 conversions that have been let out by their owners.

These can also be licensed if the local authority so desires.