Question 1

What does HMOwatch actually do right now?

Accepted Answer

Right now, HMOwatch identifies local authority HMO registers across the country, aggregates that data into one place, and keeps it continuously updated. Instead of manually hunting across dozens of council websites, you get a single, living view of licensed HMO landlords and properties in the areas that matter to you.

Question 2

Where does the data come from — is it reliable?

Accepted Answer

The data comes directly from official local authority HMO registers — the same public records councils are legally required to maintain. HMOwatch doesn't generate or infer this information; it pulls from the source and keeps it current as councils update their registers.

Question 3

How many local authorities does HMOwatch cover?

Accepted Answer

We're not publishing a fixed number here because coverage expands as new registers are identified and integrated. The scope is designed to be as comprehensive as possible across England and Wales. For specifics on your target area, details are available on request.

Question 4

How often is the data updated?

Accepted Answer

The scraper runs on a continuous basis, so the data reflects council registers as they change rather than sitting as a one-time snapshot. That said, the freshness of any given record depends partly on how frequently the relevant council updates its own register — something outside our control.

Question 5

Is HMOwatch a finished product or still in development?

Accepted Answer

HMOwatch has one feature shipped: the HMO Data Scraper. Additional capabilities are in development. If you want to understand the roadmap or discuss whether the current feature serves your specific use case, the honest answer is to get in touch directly.

Question 6

Who is this built for?

Accepted Answer

Anyone who needs to know who the licensed HMO landlords and properties are in a given area — whether that's investors scoping a market, compliance professionals tracking licensing, or businesses prospecting within the HMO sector. If you regularly find yourself cross-referencing council websites to build that picture, HMOwatch replaces that process.

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