Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO)

Please note: our HMO additional licensing scheme has now expired. This form is for Mandatory licensing.

The additional licensing scheme ran until February 2020. Your current additional licence will be valid for five years from the date of application. There is no requirement to apply for an additional licence renewal when your current licence expires.

Mandatory licensing of HMOs is required by law, and is operated by all local councils in England and Wales. Currently, mandatory licensing applies to:

• All HMOs with 5 or more occupiers living in 2 or more households. Sharing an amenity such as a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, regardless of the number of storeys. The storey requirement was removed from the previous definition on 1 October 2018.
• Some flats, including those over shops, will also require a licence if they are occupied by 5 or more people, from 2 or more separate households.

Apply for your new licence or renew your existing licence

You can make your mandatory HMO application online by clicking the Start button below.

Planning permission is required for new HMOs that fall in the Article 4 Area. More information can be found on our Planning services pages.

Licence approval does not mean that you have automatic planning permission in that same way that planning permission does not guarantee a licence will be granted.

The licensing fees for 2025/2026 are split into two parts:

Part A needs to accompany the completed application form. Part A costs are £298.70

Part B will need to be submitted when the application is complete. Part B costs are £772.50 plus a bedroom charge of £10.80 per bedroom for bedrooms six and above. As an example, a 5-bedroom HMO would have a part B charge of £772.50 and a seven-bedroom HMO would have a Part B charge of £794.10. There is a reduction in cost of £125 at this stage if you are accredited under a nationally recognised scheme.

Further reading

More information on HMO licensing is available on the gov.uk page: Licensing of houses in multiple occupation in England: a guide for landlords and managers