About houses of multiple occupation
The definition of a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) is a property where:
- three or more people live
- at least two of these people are not members of the same family
- they share facilities such as a bathroom, toilet, kitchen or living room.
If you rent, or plan to rent, to five or more people and at least two of these people are not part of the same family and they share facilities then you may need to apply for a licence.
You will need to prove that the house:
- is a safe place for the tenants to live;
- has suitable fire precautions in place, minimum standards of fire safety (opens new window);
- has enough facilities for the number of people living in the house.
For further detail visit the Housing Act 2004 (opens new window)
Licence fees
The fee is in two parts, if you choose to pay both parts of the fee and the licence is refused, then we will refund the second part of the fee.
| Application processing fee. Payment due at time of application. | Scheme management fee. Payment due immediately following the grant of licence. | Total fee | |
| HMO licence (up to 14 bedrooms) | £585.80 | £390.50 | £976.30 |
| HMO licence (15+ bedrooms) | £638.60 | £425 | £1063.60 |
| Variation of HMO licence (at licence holders request) | £187.30 | not applicable | £187.30 |
| Application processing fee. Payment due at time of application. | Scheme management fee. Payment due immediately following the grant of licence. | Total fee | |
| HMO licence (up to 14 bedrooms) | £514.20 | £343.90 | £976.30 |
| HMO licence (15+ bedrooms) | £567 | £378.50 | £945.50 |
Discount
When applications for multiple properties are made at the same time, the fee for the second and subsequent properties is reduced by £10 per property, in recognition that the Council does not need to repeat checks to confirm that the licence holder etc are fit and proper people.
Duties
If you are a landlord of a HMO property The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 (opens new window) will explain what you must do.
If you are a tenant of a HMO property the Duties of occupiers of HMO's (opens new window) will explain what you must do as an occupier.
Planning permission
As a landlord you should also make sure that the property has planning permission to be a House in Multiple Occupation. For further information on use class visit the Planning Portal. (opens new window)
To apply for a change of use visit Other consents for planning permission.
Apply for a Licence for a House in Multiple Occupation.
For more information on renting a house visit Gov.UK (opens new window)