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Published September 2025

Know your rights: A guide for HMO tenants

Security and personal safety

Security at home 

Your landlord needs to put suitable security arrangements in place to protect your home. 

If you have security concerns about your property, you should contact your landlord first. If you still have concerns after this, you can contact us at [email protected].  

The NIHMO unit can contact the landlord to check: 

  • that all security measures are in place 
  • they are operational, and  
  • the date they were last checked. 

Personal safety 

If you live in an HMO, you should take precautions to keep yourself safe.  

  • Keep your doors locked where possible.  
  • Don’t have your keys readily available to strangers. 
  • Don’t leave cash or other valuables in open view - always try to have them secured out of sight.  
  • Be vigilant of strangers in the area and report any suspicious activity to PSNI. 

The following websites have more information on keeping yourself safe. 

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