HMO
What can I do if my HMO agent is not performing?
Last updated 7 July 2026 · Reviewed by Nick Thorpe, founder
The short answer
Rooms sitting empty, missed inspections, compliance dates drifting and vague statements are signs your HMO agent isn't performing. Check your management contract's notice period, keep a written record of issues, and raise them directly first. If nothing changes, switching to a new agent is straightforward and normally takes about a month with minimal disruption to tenants.
The warning signs to watch for
A managing agent who has stopped pulling their weight tends to show it in the same few ways: rooms sitting empty for weeks with no update, inspection reports that never arrive, compliance dates (gas safety, EICR, licence renewal) drifting close with no warning, maintenance requests that sit for days before anyone even acknowledges them, and monthly statements that raise more questions than they answer.
None of these on their own proves a problem. Every portfolio has an occasional slow month or an inspection that runs late. It is the pattern that matters: the same complaint twice running, the same silence when you chase it.
Check your management contract before you do anything else
Before any conversation, find your management agreement and read the section on ending it. Notice periods, and the way you have to serve notice, vary from contract to contract, so do not assume anything based on a previous agent or a friend’s experience. If you cannot find your copy, ask the agent for one in writing (that request alone is often revealing).
Knowing your notice period means you can raise concerns from a position of choice rather than frustration. It also stops you serving notice on the wrong date and finding yourself tied in for another quarter by accident.
Document everything, then have the direct conversation
Keep a simple written log: the date an inspection was due against the date, if any, it happened; the date you reported a repair against the date it was fixed; copies of the vague statements you mentioned. A screenshot and a date beats a memory of “it’s been ages.”
Then talk to them directly, in writing, before anything else. Name the specific issues, give a reasonable timeframe to put them right, and say plainly that you are considering your options if nothing changes. Most agents who are simply overstretched respond to a direct, evidenced conversation. The ones who do not respond have usually told you what you need to know.
If it doesn’t improve, switching is more routine than it feels
- Give notice in writing, in line with the period in your contract, and keep a copy.
- Line up the new agent before the old one finishes. A new agent can start the transition while you are still under notice, so there is no gap in cover.
- Let the new agent run the handover. Deposits, keys, compliance documents and tenant details all transfer between agents directly. Switching agents with Livdin takes about a month, costs nothing, and tenants barely notice it is happening. If the property needs a full rescue, the assessment and takeover fee is agreed up front.
- Confirm compliance is picked up, not dropped. Gas safety, EICR and licence renewal dates should carry over cleanly. This is the point most landlords worry about, and the point a competent agent handles without drama.
Sometimes the honest answer is the market, not the agent
Not every empty room is a management failure. If rents are set above what the area supports, if the property needs work tenants can see, or if standards have slipped, a new agent will hit the same wall the old one did. Before you switch, it is worth checking why rooms are actually sitting empty and how to reduce it rather than assuming a change of agent fixes a pricing or condition problem underneath.
| Points to the agent | Points to the market or the property |
|---|---|
| Missed inspections, drifting compliance dates, vague statements | Voids matching a wider slowdown across the whole area |
| Repairs and maintenance requests going unanswered | A room priced above what similar rooms nearby are letting for |
| Statements that don’t add up or arrive late | A property that needs visible work tenants can see |
That is not us talking ourselves out of a client. It is the difference between a genuine performance problem, which switching solves, and a market or property problem, which follows you to whoever manages next.
Where Livdin fits
We take on HMOs mid-tenancy more often than landlords expect, usually because an agent let compliance or communication slide. HMO management is 12% of monthly rent plus VAT, on the same published schedule as everyone else, with owners able to see inspections, compliance dates and statements themselves through our owner portal rather than waiting to be told. If you think it is time to switch, call 01484 981717 and we will talk it through, no pressure either way.
Rules on licensing and compliance change, and this page reflects the position as of mid 2026. We confirm current requirements before we take on any HMO.