A Bromley landlord was fined £27,500 over an unlicensed shared house in Bolton Gardens. Tenants may be able to claim back up to two years' rent.

A landlord has been given a £27,500 financial penalty for running an unlicensed house in multiple occupation (HMO) in Bolton Gardens, Bromley. Bromley Council says an appeal against the penalty was struck out, and it is now recovering the money.

The council has not named the landlord or said when the penalty was issued. Its release describes this one case, though its notes refer to “all fines” under two parts of the Housing Act 2004. It does not say how many there have been.

Councillor Angela Page, the council’s Executive Councillor for Public Protection and Enforcement, said: “Landlords and managing agents have clear obligations, and where breaches are identified, we will not hesitate to use the enforcement powers available to us.”

When a shared house needs a licence

Bromley runs a mandatory licensing scheme. The council says a licence is generally needed when five or more people from more than one household share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom. A live-in landlord with four or more tenants also counts.

Since 2022 all proposed HMOs in the borough have also needed planning permission, under an Article 4 direction. A licence cannot be used to decide where an HMO goes. The council said in March that it cannot refuse a licence to an HMO that meets the legal requirements.

What it means for you

If you rent a room in a shared house:

The two-year figure in the council’s release does not cover everyone. Under government guidance, a tenant can seek up to two years’ rent for offences from 1 May 2026, and has two years to apply. For earlier offences the limit is one year’s rent, and the tenant must apply within one year of the offence.

If you are a landlord, the council’s HMO advice page sets out the standards, including room sizes, fire alarms and safety certificates.

Our planning applications page covers how to look up what has been applied for at an address.