Salford unregistered HMOs: 99% fail safety inspection, Manchester 2026

Key Points

• Salford City Council examined 91 unregistered Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and discovered that almost all of them did not meet basic safety criteria.
• Over 1,000 “unacceptable hazards” were identified, among them, 161 category-one risks which posed significant dangers to the health and safety of tenants.
• These included excess cold from boiler operation only at timed intervals, fire safety issues, damp and mold, as well as structural hazards.
• It is estimated that there are around 425 such premises in Salford and that an additional licensing scheme for Section 257 HMOs will be implemented citywide.
• According to Councillor Josh Brooks, landlords would have to demonstrate safety and good management of their properties in order to get a license.
• National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) warned of the potential impact of additional licensing on compliant landlords and housing stock.

Manchester (Manchester Mirror) August 18, 2026 – Nearly every unregistered HMO inspected in Salford has been deemed unsafe after a council-led investigation uncovered widespread breaches of minimum safety standards, prompting proposals for tougher licensing and renewed debate over landlord accountability and tenant protection.

What did the Salford HMO inspections reveal?

Salford City Council investigated 91 unregistered properties classified as Houses in Multiple Occupation and found that 99% failed to meet expected safety standards, according to a report highlighted by the BBC and industry bodies. Inspectors recorded more than 1,000 “unacceptable hazards”, of which 161 were classified as category-one risks, meaning they posed serious and immediate threats to the health, safety or welfare of occupants.

The hazards spanned multiple categories. As reported by the BBC, one property was referred to the council after tenants complained that a single timer-operated boiler left them unable to control heating, resulting in “excessive cold”. Another landlord was penalised for failing to provide adequate heating and for fire safety breaches. The RPSA, citing Place North West, said inspections identified structural hazards, damp and mould, excess cold and fire risks as prevalent issues in the surveyed buildings.

Which properties are affected and how many are there?

The properties in question are unregistered HMOs, many of which fall under Section 257 of the Housing Act 2004 — typically converted blocks of flats that function as HMOs but are not subject to mandatory HMO licensing unless specific criteria are met. Salford City Council estimates there are approximately 425 such properties across the city, based on current data and mapping.

Councillor Josh Brooks, executive support member for housing and anti-poverty at Salford City Council, said: “We estimate that there are approximately 425 such properties throughout the city. Evidence indicates that many of these converted flats are not meeting our expected standards, prompting us to take decisive action.” He added that licensing would require landlords to demonstrate that their properties are safe, well-managed and compliant with necessary standards, including adequate fire safety measures.

What enforcement action is Salford City Council proposing?

In response to the findings, Salford City Council announced it would pursue “decisive action” by introducing regulations that would require HMOs failing to comply with safety standards to seek additional licensing. Under the proposed scheme, landlords would need to obtain a licence to continue operating certain Section 257 HMOs citywide, with compliance checks covering fire safety, management standards and property conditions.

The council also indicated that landlords would be obligated to “take reasonable steps [to] prevent anti-social behaviour” on their premises and to maintain clean surroundings around their buildings. Failure to comply with building safety regulations could amount to a criminal offence, according to the council’s summary of the proposal. Existing Article 4 directions already restrict some HMO conversions in parts of Salford, including areas such as Eccles and Broughton, but the new licensing plan would extend oversight more broadly.

What have landlords and industry bodies said?

The proposed additional licensing scheme has drawn criticism from landlord representatives. As reported by the BBC, Samantha Watkin, a senior policy officer for the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), wrote to the council warning that “additional licensing schemes frequently impose the heaviest burdens on compliant landlords, while those operating outside the law are less inclined to participate”.

Watkin added: “The administrative and financial implications of additional licensing, particularly for small-scale landlords, jeopardize the economic viability of renting their properties and may ultimately lead to a decline in housing availability within Salford.” The NRLA’s concerns echo wider debates about the balance between regulatory enforcement and the practical impact on small landlords and rental supply.

How does this fit into wider UK rental safety reforms?

The Salford case arrives amid a broader tightening of rental safety rules across England. Industry guidance issued on 17 August 2026 emphasised routine property inspections as a key safeguard against unauthorised conversions and safety failures, citing cases where landlords avoided significant penalties by producing documented evidence of consistent oversight. The same guidance highlighted the Salford data, noting the 99% failure rate and more than 1,000 hazards, including 161 category-one risks tied to fire safety and structural collapse.

Nationally, the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 has introduced new obligations, including a requirement for a written statement for every tenancy, with deadlines in May 2026 and penalties of up to £7,000 for non-compliance. Local authorities are also pushing for stronger financial deterrents: in Bath and North East Somerset, a consultation open until 23 September 2026 proposes raising fines for electrical and HMO fire safety breaches to £20,000, with a 50% uplift for aggravating factors.

Fire safety remains a particular focus. Data from the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS) shows that 72% of inspected doors failed to meet standards in 2025, even as 98% of required checks were reportedly completed in some sectors. In social housing, Regulation 10 of the Fire Safety Regulations mandates communal fire door checks every three months and flat entrance door checks annually for buildings over 11 metres, with further regulation expected under Awaab’s Law from 30 November 2026.

What are the minimum HMO safety standards landlords must meet?

For licensed HMOs in England, national minimum sleeping-room sizes are set at 6.51 m² for one person over 10, 10.22 m² for two people over 10, and 4.64 m² for one child under 10; any room smaller than 4.64 m² cannot be used for sleeping. Fire safety requirements typically include interlinked mains-powered smoke alarms, a heat alarm in the kitchen, self-closing fire doors (commonly FD30) to higher-risk rooms and along escape routes, and a clear, unobstructed escape route from every storey.

Landlords are also expected to hold a current fire risk assessment for common parts, a valid annual Gas Safety Record (CP12), and a five-yearly Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), while meeting minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings that are set to rise towards EPC C by 2030. Management duties under the 2006 Management Regulations require displaying the manager’s details and maintaining standards for amenities, waste and anti-social behaviour. Since 1 October 2018, any HMO in England occupied by five or more people in two or more separate households requires a mandatory HMO licence, regardless of the number of storeys.

Background: How did Salford’s HMO licensing and inspection regime develop?

Salford has long operated mandatory HMO licensing for properties occupied by five or more persons forming two or more households, in line with national rules. In recent years, the council has also run selective licensing schemes covering certain private rented homes in designated areas, with the latest scheme effective from January 2026. However, Section 257 HMOs often converted blocks of flats have sat in a regulatory gap where mandatory HMO licensing does not always apply, even though they function as multi-let properties.

The council’s latest proposal seeks to close that gap by introducing a citywide additional licensing scheme specifically for certain Section 257 HMOs, following inspections that found widespread non-compliance with expected standards. Place North West reported that a recent survey found 99% of inspected buildings failed to meet expected standards, with serious safety concerns including structural hazards, damp and mould, excess cold and fire risk. Existing Article 4 directions already restrict some HMO conversions in parts of Salford, but the new licensing plan would extend oversight more broadly across the city.

Prediction: How could this development affect tenants, landlords and the local rental market?

If Salford City Council proceeds with citywide additional licensing for Section 257 HMOs, tenants are likely to see improved safety oversight, with more properties required to meet fire safety, heating and management standards before obtaining a licence. For tenants in currently unregistered or poorly managed HMOs, the change could mean faster remediation of hazards such as excessive cold, fire risks and damp, and clearer routes to report problems where landlords must now prove compliance.

For landlords, especially small-scale operators, the NRLA’s warning suggests higher administrative and financial burdens, including licence fees, compliance upgrades and ongoing inspections. Some landlords may choose to exit the market or convert properties to other uses if costs rise significantly, potentially tightening supply in parts of Salford’s private rented sector. Conversely, compliant landlords may benefit from a level playing place if enforcement successfully targets rogue operators who currently avoid licensing and safety obligations.

For the wider rental market, the move could accelerate a trend towards more formalised licensing and inspection regimes in Greater Manchester, encouraging other councils to adopt similar additional licensing for Section 257 HMOs where safety failures are concentrated. If enforcement is robust and well-resourced, the policy could reduce the number of dangerously substandard HMOs over time; if resourcing is weak, there is a risk that non-compliant landlords continue operating without detection, limiting the policy’s impact.