Free survey and advice0800 088 6341 Get a guide price

HMO tenant find and room letting

HMO tenant find is a letting-only service: we advertise each room, show it, reference applicants and set up the tenancy, then hand the running of the house back to you. It suits owners who manage their own HMO but want rooms filled properly under the Renters' Rights Act rules on advertising, rent in advance and discrimination.

Letting a room in a shared house is a small job that happens often. Each new tenant needs the room advertised, viewings arranged, checks done and paperwork in place, and since 1 May 2026 the rules on how rooms are advertised and let have tightened. Our tenant find service handles each let from advert to move-in. You can use it for one room, for every room as it comes up, or as a step towards full management.

  • Written terms for each property
  • Checked against your council's HMO rules
  • Build, compliance and lettings in one team

Get a guide price

Book a free survey

Tell us about the property. We reply within one working day.

Communal lounge in a shared house with a sofa and dining table

What does a tenant find service include?

For each room you ask us to let, we:

  • photograph and describe the room and shared areas, and advertise it with the asking rent;
  • answer enquiries and carry out viewings;
  • reference applicants, including identity, affordability or guarantor, and previous landlord checks;
  • carry out Right to Rent checks where required;
  • prepare the tenancy paperwork, including the written statement of terms;
  • protect any deposit in a government-approved scheme and give the tenant the details;
  • prepare an inventory with photos of the room and its contents;
  • check the alarms on move-in day, hand over keys and give the tenant the gas safety record and other documents they should receive.

After move-in, the tenancy is yours to run. If you would rather we carried on, our full HMO management service picks up from the same paperwork.

How do the Renters' Rights Act rules affect advertising rooms?

Since 1 May 2026, the rules on finding tenants apply directly to letting agents as well as landlords, and we follow them for every room:

  • Asking rent stated. Every advert shows the rent, and we cannot seek or accept offers above it, so there is no bidding between applicants.
  • No blanket bans. Adverts and viewings cannot exclude people because they have children or receive benefits. Each applicant is referenced on their own circumstances.
  • Rent in advance limited. Nothing is taken before the tenancy is signed, and no more than one month's rent between signing and the start date.
  • Pets considered. Pet requests are answered within 28 days and cannot be refused unreasonably.

Rooms are let as assured periodic tenancies with no fixed term, so a tenant can leave on two months' notice. In a shared house, that makes quick, well-run re-letting more valuable. Our Renters' Rights Act guide covers the rules in full.

Can I charge tenants fees for a room let?

No, not letting fees. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans most fees to tenants in England, so tenants do not pay us, or you, for referencing, viewings, tenancy set-up or inventories. The landlord pays for the tenant find service.

Rent and a deposit can still be taken, along with a small number of other payments the Act permits. The Renters' Rights Act adds its own limit on timing: no rent before the tenancy is signed, and no more than one month's rent between signing and move-in.

We give each applicant a clear written breakdown of what they will pay and when, before they sign. Management and tenant-find fees are agreed in writing for each property. We will publish our fee list, redress scheme and client money protection details on our fees page before we accept any letting or management instruction. If you move from tenant find to full management, we explain which charges change before you decide.

Should I choose tenant find or full management?

Tenant find suits owners who live near the house, have time for tenant calls and repairs, and are confident with the compliance diary. Once the tenant moves in, you are the point of contact, and you carry the duties under the HMO management regulations, the licence conditions and the safety checks.

Full management suits owners who would rather hand over the running of the house. We collect rent, arrange repairs through our maintenance team, keep certificates in date and inspect the property.

Some owners start with tenant find and move to full management later, and some go the other way when they have more time. Because we set up the tenancy paperwork and inventory ourselves, switching does not mean starting again. Whichever you choose, each room is let under the same rules with the same checks.

What's included

  • Room adverts with photos and the asking rent shown
  • Enquiries handled and viewings carried out
  • Referencing and Right to Rent checks where required
  • Written tenancy terms and deposit protection
  • Photo inventory and alarm check on move-in day
  • Option to move to full management later

What does it cost?

Tenant-find terms are agreed in writing for each property before you instruct us. The landlord pays them; tenants do not pay letting fees under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. If you later move to full management, the change is set out in writing before it takes effect.

How it works

  1. Talk to us about the house

    Tell us about the property, the rooms and any current tenants.

  2. Compliance review

    We check the licence, certificates and planning status before we take it on.

  3. Agree terms in writing

    Management or lease terms are set out in writing for your solicitor to review.

  4. We run the house

    Rooms let, rent collected, repairs handled and the compliance diary kept.

Room lets and tenant find across the Midlands

Choose your county for local councils, licensing rules and the towns we cover.

Questions about room lets and tenant find

How long does it take to let an HMO room?

It varies with the room, the rent, the time of year and local demand, so we don't promise a time. We advertise as soon as the room is ready and photographed, and keep you updated on enquiries and viewings.

Can I choose which applicant gets the room?

Yes. We reference applicants and share the results with you, and you make the final decision. The decision must not be based on someone having children or receiving benefits, and we keep a record of how each application was assessed.

Do you let HMO rooms to students?

Yes. If you want the option of the student possession ground, Ground 4A, every condition must be met, including: each tenant is, or is reasonably expected to become, a full-time student; written notice is given before the tenancy is signed; it is signed no more than six months before move-in; the timing condition is met; and you intend to re-let to students. Our student HMOs guide explains the conditions.

Who carries out Right to Rent checks?

We do, as part of tenant find. We carry out Right to Rent checks where required, in the same way for every applicant, and keep a record of each check with the tenancy file so you have it if asked.

Can a tenant keep a pet in an HMO room?

They can ask, and since 1 May 2026 a pet request must be answered within 28 days and cannot be refused unreasonably. We pass each request to you with the relevant facts, such as the room, the shared areas and any restrictions in your own lease, and help you reply in writing.

Planning an HMO in the Midlands?

Book a free survey. We measure every room, check the licensing and planning position, and give you a fixed written quote.

Get a guide priceCall 0800 088 6341
Call free Guide price