House in multiple occupation (HMO)

How to apply for a HMO licence

To apply for a licence, please visit: House in multiple occupation licence.

Applications for licences must be accompanied by the correct fee.

Incomplete applications and applications not accompanied by the correct fee will not be accepted. 

Once a valid application is received, we will arrange an inspection of the property and then prepare a draft licence and a Proposal Notice. 

There is a 21 day consultation period and if you disagree with any conditions on the draft licence you can make representation against the condition(s). If this happens we may amend the licence as requested or reject the representation.

If the licence is approved The actual licence and a Decision Notice is then issued. There is a right of appeal to the First Tier Tribunal against conditions on the licence. This must be done within 28 days of the issuing of the Decision Notice.

A HMO licence will generally run for five years but we may issue a licence for a shorter period in some circumstances.

From 1 October 2018 the following measures regarding minimum sizes for rooms used as sleeping accommodation will be included as mandatory licensing conditions:
  • The floor area for any room used as sleeping accommodation by a single person aged under 10 years is not to be less than 4.64m2
  • The floor area for any room used as sleeping accommodation by a single person aged over 10 years is not to be less than  6.51m2
  • The floor area for any room used as sleeping accommodation by two people aged over 10 years is not to be less than 10.22m2

Communal space in other parts of the HMO cannot be used to compensate for rooms smaller than the prescribed minimum. 

These mandatory room size conditions are the statutory minimum below which rooms cannot be used as sleeping accommodation and are not intended to be the optimal room size. Local Housing Authorities will continue to have discretion to set their own higher standards.