HMO tenant and his children

HMO Licensing

Hello,
I have been letting a shared house as a licenced HMO for nearly 10 years, without any major issues. I now have a potential problem with one tenant. I am licenced for 5 bedrooms, 1 person in each. We specifically let to young people in their 20s and on the whole they all get along fine.

One tenant has 2 children by a previous relationship. When he viewed the house he said that he may have to look after them for a few hours sometimes, but they wouldn’t stay. We made it clear that he couldn’t have children staying. Since lockdown, he has been furloughed and it seems from first hand evidence and comment from the other tenants that he frequently has 1 or sometimes both children staying at the house. My husband went there to do the garden a couple of weeks ago, and there was children’s stuff everywhere. The tenant says his ex partner has relied on him more for childcare and that he has approached the council for a flat with 2 bedrooms so that one child can live with him. But in the meantime we are worried about potential issues with a child there, the effect on other tenants and also the potential breach of our HMO licence conditions. We can’t serve a section 21 notice at the moment, and he is paying the rent. Anyone any experience of this sort of issue?
Thanks
Helen