(with Rob Rylott, Team Leader, Public Health Section, Nottingham City Council). The parts of the Housing Act 2004 covering HMOs, their owners and tenants came into effect in April 2004. This is a major piece of legislation which, for the first time, brings the majority of so-called student ‘shared houses’ within the legislative framework. Because it is an important, though complicated, piece of legislation which has implications for all residents, whether owner-occupiers, tenants or landlords, the workshops were arranged to give attendees an insight into the Act, its ramifications, and how the City Council hopes to use it in order to help residents in those neighbourhoods where HMOs are an issue. Time for individual questions and issues was built into the programme for this event