Register Of Licensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)

Viewing the Full Register

The Council is obliged to maintain a register of licensed HMOS under section 232 of The Housing Act 2004. If you wish to arrange a viewing of the full register or to request certified copies of it as per your right to do so under the Housing Act 2004, please email privatesectorhousing@hartlepool.gov.uk

You can make an appointment to view the register at the Civic Centre on a weekday. It is important to make an appointment as the register is held securely on a computer and will not be available if you come without an appointment.

Some details are classified as personal data and therefore are not disclosed.

Copies of Register

The HMO Register can be sent to you as a pdf version by email.

The reason we supply the Register in pdf format is because advice from the Information Commissioner's Office in 2017 about disclosure of landlords' names and addresses was as follows:

"As the duty of the council under the Housing Act 2004 is to provide a copy of the register (which will include the name and address of each licence holder by virtue of that duty) to a requester, such a disclosure of personal data is lawful and there would be no breach of the first data protection principle. However, it is the form in which the register is provided where it may be considered unfair and subsequently breach the DPA, such as publishing the full register on the internet. The requirement under the Housing Act is just to provide a copy of the register on request, there is no obligation to make it available electronically since publication on the internet may be unfair and excessive given the potential for ease of access by a large number of people."

Therefore, the Council is not obliged to make the information available to you in excel or csv format as such forms of disclosure could be a breach of the DPA as it makes the names and addresses too accessible.

If you wish to request a pdf copy of the HMO register, please email privatesectorhousing@hartlepool.gov.uk and we will arrange for an extract to be provided to you.               

Information Exempt from Disclosure under the FOI Act

Requests to see the HMO register are exempt from disclosure under FOI, due to the council's obligations under section 232 of the Housing Act 2004 to someone who requested a copy of the HMO Register.

The council would therefore advise that you email privatesectorhousing@hartlepool.gov.uk to arrange a viewing of the register or to request certified copies of the register as per your right to do so under the Housing Act 2004.

In accordance with section 16(1) of the FOI Act, the council has a duty to provide advice and assistance to you, as far as it is reasonable to do so. Therefore I would advise you that the HMO register with the premises address, date of issue and date of expiry but with the personal data such as the licensee's name not included is available