According to The Negotiator magazine for estate agents, nobody knows whether the new licensing regime obliges landlords to put washbasins in every single bedroom, even in houses with plenty of communal toilets, baths and shower rooms.

The latest Government crackdown on landlords in England and Wales - forcing all owners of houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) to get a licence in the three months from April 6 - appears to have hit a snag.

According to The Negotiator magazine for estate agents, nobody knows whether the new licensing regime obliges landlords to put washbasins in every single bedroom, even in houses with plenty of communal toilets, baths and shower rooms.

Leeds City Council is giving landlords a five year period of grace before they have to conform, which gives time for the issue to be reconsidered when the Act is reviewed in three years' time.

Other councils, it seems, might not be so understanding - meaning even more cash for Polish plumbers already overwhelmed with work before this latest piece of red tape was inflicted on landlords.

HMOs are defined as properties with either five or more sharers or a minimum three storeys high.

The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) is advising landlords who want guidance on the new measure to consult the website of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), their local authority, or a local ARLA letting agent.