An HMO licence application pack, £449 with the measured visit included
Letting to sharers without the right licence is an offence, and the council will not grant one without correct plans. We visit and measure, draw the floor plans the application needs and complete the forms: £449, visit included.
- £449, measured visit included
- Plans and forms completed
- Free redraws until approval
What does an HMO licence pack cost?
The fee is £449, with no VAT to add. The measured visit is included, so there is no £150 survey on top. For that we draw the floor plans the council asks for, mark room sizes and facilities, complete the application forms and submit them. The council’s licence fee is separate and paid to the council.
What the £449 covers
- A measured visit to the house, with every letting room, kitchen, bathroom and shared space measured
- Floor plans to scale, with each room numbered, its area stated and the facilities marked
- A check of each bedroom against the national minimum sizes and the licence conditions
- The council’s application forms, completed from what we find, for you to check and sign
- Submission, with replies to the council’s housing officer and free redraws until approval
Does my house need a licence?
If five or more people live there in two or more households, yes (prescribed description; gov.uk). A council may also have extra rules or licensing schemes of its own, so check its website for yours.
The penalty for getting it wrong is real. Having control of an unlicensed HMO that must be licensed is an offence, with a defence only for a reasonable excuse or a live application (section 72).
The plans the council checks
The housing officer reads the floor plans closely. Each bedroom has to meet the minimum floor area: 6.51 m² for one person over 10, 10.22 m² for two (regulations). Areas with a ceiling below 1.5 m do not count, which matters in a loft. A room under 4.64 m² cannot be a bedroom at all.
So the measuring has to be right. We measure every letting room ourselves and draw the plan to the millimetre, then test it against those sizes. If a room fails, we tell you before you apply, not after the council has refused.
- Room numbers matching the licence application
- Floor area of each bedroom, after any low ceiling is excluded
- Kitchens, bathrooms and toilets marked, with the number of sharers
- Fire doors and alarms, where the council asks for them
Licence, fire safety and conversion drawings
The licence runs for up to five years (section 68), so the plans have to stay true. If the house needs work to meet the sizes, see HMO conversion drawings. If the layout needs fire protection, a fire strategy plan covers escape and alarms. A new layout may also need building regulations drawings.
The rules behind an HMO licence
- 5 persons
- An HMO needs a licence in England where it is occupied by five or more persons living in two or more separate households. Licensing of HMOs (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018, article 4
- 6.51 m²
- A bedroom for one person over 10 must have a floor area of at least 6.51 m². Licensing of HMOs (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018, reg. 2
- 10.22 m²
- A bedroom for two persons over 10 must be at least 10.22 m². Licensing of HMOs (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018, reg. 2
- 4.64 m²
- A room under 4.64 m² must not be used as sleeping accommodation, and a bedroom for one person under 10 needs at least 4.64 m². Licensing of HMOs (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018, reg. 2
- 1.5 m
- Any part of a room’s floor area where the ceiling is under 1.5 m high is left out when its size is calculated. Licensing of HMOs (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018, reg. 2
- 5 years
- A licence must not run for more than five years from its grant. Housing Act 2004, s.68(4)
- Offence
- It is an offence to have control of, or manage, an HMO that must be licensed but is not, unless a reasonable excuse or a pending application applies. Housing Act 2004, s.72
HMO licence questions
When does an HMO need a licence?
In England, when five or more people live there in two or more households. Councils can add schemes for smaller HMOs.
Sources: Licensing of HMOs (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018 · gov.uk, Houses in multiple occupation
How big must a bedroom be?
At least 6.51 m² for one person over 10 and 10.22 m² for two, with any area under a 1.5 m ceiling left out.
Is the council’s fee included?
No. The £449 is our fee, including the measured visit. The council sets and collects its own licence fee.
What if a room is too small?
We tell you at the plan stage, before you apply, and show what changes would let it pass. We cannot promise the council’s decision.
Other services people book with this one
Need a licence, or about to?
Send the address and how many people live there. We reply with a fixed fee and a visit date.