HMO Management in Northern Quarter, Manchester

Room demand in Northern Quarter (M4) comes from the same people who already rent here: young professionals renting city centre apartments. The Northern Quarter sits at the heart of Manchester city centre and commands some of the highest rents in the conurbation, reflecting its position among shops, bars, independent businesses and its short walk to Manchester Piccadilly station. For a house share, that decides whether rooms fill: how quickly each tenant gets to work or study, and how well the shared kitchen, bathrooms and fire safety are kept.

Any house in Northern Quarter let to five or more people from two or more households needs a mandatory HMO licence from Manchester City Council. The fee is set by the council. A citywide Article 4 direction has applied since 2011, so turning a family home into a small HMO needs planning permission. An agent that collects the rent is legally the person managing the HMO, so Caso checks the licence and the 2006 HMO Management Regulations before taking a property on.

Take a 5 room house share at the Manchester average room rent of £685 a month. The rent comes to £3,425 a month. A typical HMO management fee of 12% would be £411 a month; Caso at 9% is £308, a saving of £103 a month or £1,233 a year, all plus VAT. With three or more HMOs the Caso rate is 7%.

Caso manages each room as its own let, room by room: rent collected and arrears chased, four inspections a year, fire safety and certificate dates tracked, and the licence conditions kept. Tenants report repairs through a 24 hour maintenance line, and you get one monthly statement for the whole house.

You keep the HMO licence in your own name, with Caso named as manager. We are your managing agent only, so there is no rent-to-rent and no guaranteed rent. Rooms are filled through a local room-let agent at their fee, agreed with you first, with nothing added by Caso.

Average room rent in Manchester, which covers Northern Quarter: £685 a month

Mean advertised room rent including bills, SpareRoom Rental Index, Q3 2026.

Worked example. Northern Quarter, 5 rooms at £685: rent £3,425 a month; typical agent at 12% £411; Caso at 9% £308; saving £103 a month, £1,233 a year. All fees plus VAT.

HMO licence preparation is £350 plus VAT plus the council fee. Check-in is £65 and check-out £50 a room, plus VAT. No setup, renewal or exit fees. See all Caso pricing.

A mandatory HMO licence is needed when five or more people from two or more households share a home.

Cost. The mandatory HMO licence fee is set by the council: Manchester City Council publishes the current fee on its HMO licensing page.

Planning. A citywide Article 4 direction has applied since 2011, so turning a family home into a small HMO needs planning permission.

How to check and apply. Apply to Manchester City Council before the first tenancy starts. Manchester City Council HMO licensing.

An agent that collects the rent is legally the person managing the HMO, so Caso checks the licence and the 2006 HMO Management Regulations before taking a property on.

Landlord licensing schemes by council

You hold the HMO licence and Caso is named on it as manager.

Caso is your managing agent only. We do not do rent-to-rent and we do not offer guaranteed rent.

Tenant finding is through a local room-let agent at their fee, agreed with you first. Caso adds nothing to it.

Before we start, we check:

• The HMO licence, or the licence application
• A fire risk assessment
• Gas safety certificate
• Electrical installation report (EICR)
• Fire alarm and emergency lighting certificates
• Room sizes for every bedroom