Introducing Resi-HMO

If you run a house in multiple occupation, or HMO as a landlord or property manager, you probably already rely on HMO management software to keep things moving. It tracks rent, tenancy agreements, maintenance requests and licence renewals – the admin that keeps a multi-let property running smoothly.

But there’s one thing most HMO management software can’t tell you: what’s actually happening inside each room. Is condensation building up in Bedroom Three? Is the shared kitchen poorly ventilated? Is one tenant’s room dropping below a safe temperature overnight?

Damp, mould, poor air quality and excess cold are among the most common hazards in rented homes. According to the English Housing Survey, 10% of private rented homes in England suffer from significant damp, compared with just 4% of owner-occupied homes. HMOs – with several households under one roof – face more risk than most. That’s why we’ve built Resi-HMO: a new way to see the condition of every room in your HMO in a single weekly report.

What Does HMO Management Software Usually Cover?

Most HMO management software focuses on the business side of letting. Typical features include rent collection and arrears tracking, tenancy and document management, maintenance logging, and reminders for licences, gas safety and electrical certificates.

These tools are brilliant at recording what’s been reported. The gap is that they depend on someone noticing a problem first. By the time a tenant reports black mould on a bedroom wall, the issue has usually been developing for weeks  –  and the repair bill, the disruption and the compliance risk have all grown with it.

Why Property Conditions Are Harder to Manage in an HMO

In a single-let home, one household shares one set of habits. In an HMO, every bedroom is effectively its own home. One tenant might dry laundry on the radiator, another might keep the window shut all winter, and a third might barely use the heating. Each of those habits creates a different risk, and none of them are visible from the hallway.

Shared spaces add another layer. Bills-included tenancies, which are common in HMOs, add another twist. With energy costs covered, one tenant might run the heating with the window wide open, while another switches their radiator off and keeps their room cold. The first wastes energy you’re paying for; the second raises humidity and condensation risk in that room. Both patterns show up clearly in room-by-room temperature and humidity data – and both are almost impossible to spot without it. Kitchens and bathrooms used by several people produce far more moisture than in a typical family home, and communal areas often fall between tenants’ responsibilities. Without data, it’s very hard to know which room is causing a problem, or whether a problem exists at all.

The Compliance Pressure on HMO Landlords

HMO landlords already carry extra responsibilities. Properties must be kept free from serious hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), which includes damp and mould growth, excess cold and excess heat. HMO management regulations, such as the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006, require shared areas and facilities to be kept in good repair, and licence conditions set by local councils add further requirements.

Awaab’s Law has introduced strict timescales for social landlords to investigate and fix damp and mould, and the Renters’ Rights Act extends similar standards to the private rented sector. Landlords who can show they’re monitoring conditions proactively will be far better placed than those relying on tenant reports alone.

Introducing Resi-HMO

Resi-HMO is designed specifically for HMO landlords and property managers. It groups all of the ResiSure sensors in your property together, so you can review damp and mould risk, air quality and internal temperature for every room in one weekly report.

Instead of checking each sensor separately, you get a single summary showing which rooms are healthy and which need further investigation. Each bedroom is tracked individually, so when something changes, you know exactly where to look.

Communal Spaces Monitored at No Extra Cost

Shared kitchens and lounges are often where moisture and poor air quality build up. For properties with five or more sensors, ResiSure also monitors the communal space at no extra cost, giving you a complete picture of the whole house, not just the bedrooms. If your HMO needs a mandatory licence, you’re likely to qualify.

Set Up in Minutes

ResiSure sensors need no hard-wiring, so there’s no disruption for your tenants. With our Q-Start technology, you simply scan each sensor, input the property address and start tracking.

What’s Inside a Resi-HMO Weekly Report?

• Property summary: a clear table showing every room’s status for damp and mould, air quality and internal temperature, plus how many rooms need further investigation that week.
• Room-by-room pages: a summary for each bedroom, with charts tracking humidity, air quality and temperature across the week.
• Key metrics: severity ratings for humidity, air quality, underheating and overheating, with the week’s highs, lows and averages and arrows showing which way each figure is trending.
• Local weather: observed temperature, rainfall, wind speed and cloud cover from weather stations near the property, so you can tell whether a change indoors is down to the weather outside.

Because every report is dated and saved, you also build up a record of conditions over time. That’s valuable evidence if a tenant raises a concern, if the council inspects, or when your HMO licence is due for renewal.

How Resi-HMO Works With Your HMO Management Software

ResiSure sensors aren’t designed to replace the HMO management software you already use – instead, they fill the gap that software leaves. Your management platform tells you what’s been reported and what’s due; Resi-HMO tells you what’s actually happening in each room, before anyone has to report it.

Together, they give you a proactive approach to HMO management: spot a rising damp risk in one bedroom, log the job in your existing system, fix it early, and keep a clear record that you acted. That means fewer surprises, lower repair costs, happier tenants and a stronger position on compliance.

Ready to take control of conditions in every room? Contact the ResiSure team today using the form below to find out how Resi-HMO can work for your properties.

FAQ’s

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Housing legislation, HMO licensing requirements and their timescales vary by local authority and change over time, so always check current government guidance and your local council’s requirements, or speak to a qualified professional, before making decisions about your property.