HMO. Couple living in a room. Action to take

General Discussion

HMO. Couple living in a room. I have recently found out that a tenant who has just renewed his one year tenancy has been living with his partner/wife in their room. I had visited the house and met the girlfriend and when I asked another tenant, he said that she had been living there from the beginning and that while it was not a big issue, things like fridge/freezer space was sometimes tight. My issue is: How to handle this situation.

Our contract states that couples cannot live in the room.

As I see it I have a few options:

1. Ignore it, given that he has been a good tenant until now, but not renew the contract in December. The other tenants may stay quiet and have no issue with it, or might quietly simmer.

2. Have a conversation with him. Calmly say that, I have found out that your partner has been living with you. This is not allowable from both a contractual and legal (This is a 5 bed HMO) points of view and that they will need to leave within the next XX weeks.

3. Same as Number 2, but tell him that he can stay until December, but would need to pay a premium in the meantime.

4. Other...

Any thoughts on how to handle this in a way that minimises impact on the overall household. Any legal angles to be aware of? How easy is it to actually get him out? Arguments that he might raise? Thanks in advance!