Most investor-landlords would agree that HMOs can be a fantastic investment. If you choose the right territory with sufficient tenant demand then most HMOs can generate great returns. However, assessing your personal appetite for the management involvement and how your type of tenant performs throughout the tenancy period can be just as important as making sure that the financial numbers stack up.   

Some investors prefer to have a hands-off approach to their investment, striving for that passive income, while others prefer to carry out the day to day management, maintenance and repairs, which is probably more akin to being a landlord than an investor. Whatever your preference, the management of HMO property is a challenge and depending on what your appetite for management is may determine the type of HMO in which you should be investing.    

I have myself acquired and managed many HMO properties in my investment career and together with my management company, Hugo James Property, I currently have responsibility for some fifty HMO properties which include Student and Local Housing Allowance (LHA) properties as well as those which cater for young professional and worker tenants.

However, just because an investor has engaged the services of an agent to manage their HMO does not mean they will have a hands-off passive investment experience.