A landlord must notify Buckinghamshire Council of their intention to change the use of the property
A landlord or person in control of an HMO must notify the council of their intention to change the use of the property, for example, if they intends to:
- sell the property with vacant possession
- convert into self-contained flats
- carry out major renovation works
- let to a single household or family
In these circumstances, the council may serve a temporary exemption notice, which lasts 3 months – during which time the house is not required to be licensed.
At the end of the period, the property must be licensed if it remains a licensable HMO, or it must cease to be an HMO.
In exceptional circumstances, a second temporary exemption notice may be served for an additional 3 months.
If the council decides not to serve a temporary exemption notice, the person who gave the notification must be served with a notice of this decision, the reasons for it, the date on which it was made, and provided with information about the right to appeal against the decision.