HMO licence fees across England and Wales: the table

· 7 min read

Scope: England and Wales, mandatory HMO licensing — the national regime that applies to a house in multiple occupation with five or more occupiers in two or more households. Additional and selective licensing are separate schemes with separate fees; those are in the discretionary fee article. Every figure below is read from our council records and dated.

Search for HMO licence costs and you will be told to expect somewhere between £500 and £1,100. That range is not wrong, and it is not usable either: you do not pay a range, you pay whatever your council charges.

So here is the table instead. The 191 fees we hold run from £59 to £2,648, with a median of £949. Each row carries the council's own wording rather than a number we tidied up, because a great many councils do not charge one number — they charge by the number of lettings, or split the fee across application and grant.

What we hold, and what we do not

We hold a mandatory HMO fee for 191 of 317 councils. For the remaining 126, we do not hold a fee — which means exactly that, and not that the council charges nothing. Every council in England and Wales operates mandatory HMO licensing and every one charges for it.

The absences are not evenly spread, and we would rather say so than imply a completeness we have not got. If your council is missing, its own licensing page is the answer, and the council page on this site links straight to it.

Jump to a region

London · South East · South West · East of England · East Midlands · West Midlands · West Midlands (met county) · Yorkshire and the Humber · South Yorkshire · West Yorkshire · North West · Greater Manchester · North East · Tyne and Wear · Wales · Merseyside

London (26)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Barnet Two-part, effective 1 January 2026, same schedule as the additional scheme: new HMO up to 5 units for five years, paper £1,404 (£648 + £756) or online £1,263 (£583 + £680), plus £27 per unit above 5. Renewal paper £1,236, online £1,112. Established from the Barnet fee schedule, Appendix 8, 19 Aug 2026 20 August 2026
Bexley £350 plus £330 per letting. Renewal £350 plus £205 per letting. £50 discount where the landlord or agent is accredited at the time of applying. Established from bexley.gov.uk property licensing schemes 19 Aug 2026. This is a per-letting increment, so a 5-letting HMO is £350 plus five lots of £330 19 August 2026
Bromley Two-part, banded by units, 2026/27. Established from bromley.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. Up to 5 units: Part 1 licence administration fee £1,589 + Part 2 licensing fee £1,059 = £2,648. Each additional unit adds £318 to Part 1 and £212 to Part 2. Part 1 is due on application and Part 2 before grant; the licence cannot issue until Part 2 is paid. Licence 5 years. The council states verbatim "Bromley only operates the Mandatory HMO Licensing Scheme" 17 August 2026
Camden £1,531 two-part (Part 1 £1,297 + Part 2 £234) for a s.254 house or flat in multiple occupation. The same schedule applies to mandatory and additional licences. Established from the Camden HMO licensing application fees PDF 19 Aug 2026 19 August 2026
City of London £1,050 for a property with up to five lettings, rising to a maximum of £1,650 for properties with 20 or more lettings. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 17 August 2026
City of Westminster Two-part with a per-letting increment. Established from westminster.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026, labelled from 1 April 2025. Part A £855 + Part B £685 = £1,540 for up to 5 bedrooms, plus £68 per letting above 5 for s.254 HMOs. Charities housing vulnerable persons are exempt. Discounts: 10 per cent for LLAS or NRLA accreditation, 10 per cent off Part B for EPC C, 20 per cent off Part B for EPC B or above. CAVEAT: fee-year label is 2025/26 although the page was refreshed 3 June 2026 25 August 2026
Ealing Fixed fee plus a charge per habitable room, 2026/27. Established from the Ealing licensing fees schedule 19 Aug 2026. £1,000 fixed plus £500 for up to 5 bedrooms = £1,500; £600 for 6 to 7 bedrooms; £700 for 8 to 10; £800 for 11 to 15; £900 for 16 to 19; £1,000 for 20 or more, giving a range of £1,500 to £2,000 19 August 2026
Enfield Two-part, banded by lettable rooms. Established from enfield.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. Up to 5 lettable rooms £889 (Part 1) + £727 (Part 2) = £1,616; 6 rooms £1,797.50; 7 rooms £1,979; 8 rooms £2,160.50; 9 rooms £2,342; 10 rooms £2,523.50. Discounts against Part 2 from 1 September 2025: £50 for an accredited landlord (LLAS, NRLA, UKALA, BLA, also ARLA Propertymark and Safeagent) and £100 for EPC C or above, up to £150 combined 19 August 2026
Hackney £1,400 total, two-part: Part A £840 on application (non-refundable if refused or withdrawn) + Part B £560 on grant. Established from hackney.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026, current 2026/27, rose from £950 on 1 April 2026. Discounts off Part B: EPC B or above £100, EPC C £50, accredited landlord £100; multi-dwelling £100 off Part A. Licence up to 5 years 19 August 2026
Hammersmith & Fulham £1,656.00 for a standard 5-year licence, plus £183.00 per habitable room. 2026/27, established from the Hammersmith and Fulham Housing Standards Fees and Charges Proposals 2026/27 on democracy.lbhf.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026 (up from £1,627 and £180). A reduced 2-year licence is also £1,656.00. Discounts: £80 where the licence holder or manager belongs to an accredited landlord body (NLA, RLA, LLAS) or £50 for signing the H and F Landlords Charter, with only the greater of the two applied 19 August 2026
Harrow Two-part flat fee. Established from harrow.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. New application: administration fee £1,318.00 plus inspection fee £500.00 = £1,818.00. Renewal £785.90 + £500.00 = £1,285.90. Renewal with a material change £1,818.00. A section 257 licence for self-contained units is charged separately at £376 (£276 + £100). Licence up to five years 24 August 2026
Havering Two-part, banded by lettings. Established from havering.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. Up to 5 lettings £1,329 (Part A £1,063 + Part B £266); 6 to 9 lettings £1,530.30; 10 to 14 £1,755.20; 15 to 19 £1,941.10; 20 or more £2,130. NOTE a figure of £1,294 circulates on third-party sites and is wrong; the council publishes £1,329 for up to 5 lettings 25 August 2026
Hillingdon £1,656 for a new or renewal HMO licence: initial payment £1,104 + final payment £552. 2026/27. Established from hillingdon.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026 19 August 2026
Islington £900 plus £100 for each bedroom, two-part (Part A on application, Part B on grant). Established from islington.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026; fee schedule titled "Property Licensing Fees 1 February 2026 onwards". Stackable discounts off Part B: accredited landlord £75, EPC A to C £50, renewal with no gap £25 24 August 2026
Kensington & Chelsea £1,493 two-part (Part A £1,004 + Part B £489) up to 5 units, plus £72 per additional room. Identical to the additional scheme fee by council design. Established from rbkc.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026 21 August 2026
Lambeth PER HABITABLE ROOM, not per property. Established from lambeth.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026, charges effective 1 April 2026. £550 per letting, two-part with Part A about two thirds and Part B about one third. One letting £550 (A £366.67, B £183.33); three lettings £1,650; five lettings £2,750. Accreditation discount £75 off Part B. This is a per-room rate and is not comparable to a whole-property fee 24 August 2026
Lewisham £500 PER LETTABLE UNIT, two-part (£250 + £250), standard rate. Identical to the additional scheme. Per-unit rate, not a whole-property fee. Established from lewisham.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026 24 August 2026
Merton Banded by units, two-part with a flat Part B of £852.37, fees updated 1 April 2026. Established from merton.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. 2 units £1,949.79; 3 £2,014.12; 4 £2,078.45; 5 £2,142.78; 6 £2,207.11; 7 £2,271.44; 8 £2,335.77; 9 £2,400.10; 10 £2,464.43. Part A rises £64.33 per unit. No discounts apply to mandatory 25 August 2026
Newham Banded by number of lettings, two-part. Established from newham.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026, fees introduced 1 April 2024. Up to 5 lettings £450 + £950 = £1,400; 6 to 9 £450 + £1,100 = £1,550; 10 to 14 £450 + £1,250 = £1,700; 15 to 19 £450 + £1,400 = £1,850; 20 to 29 £600 + £2,000 = £2,600; rising by band to £6,350 at 70 to 79 lettings, then plus £750 per additional 10 lettings. £50 accredited landlord discount, £50 for accredited plus EPC C or higher. Paper application plus £100. Licence 5 years 9 August 2026
Redbridge Banded by households with a flat first-stage fee of £696.14, for applications submitted 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. Established from redbridge.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. 2 households £1,865.34; 3 £1,969.60; 4 £2,088.42; 5 £2,185.95; 6 £2,296.93; 7 £2,401.18; 8 £2,506.56; 9 £2,617.53; 10 or more £2,728.51. The second-stage fee rises with household count. £35 accreditation discount off the second stage. Paper application £139.23 25 August 2026
Richmond upon Thames Two-part, banded by units: 3-bed £1,036 + £675 on grant = £1,711; 5-bed £1,152 + £675 = £1,827; 10+ units £1,442 + £675 = £2,117, pro rata above 10 units. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Southwark Two-part with a per-letting increment, 2026/27. Established from southwark.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026, page updated 10 March 2026 and fees updated 1 April 2026. Part A £1,157.50 + Part B £496 = £1,653.50 for the first 5 lettings, plus £110 per letting above 5 (£77 Part A and £33 Part B each). Section 257 HMOs are free. Discounts: Gold Standard Charter landlords 50 per cent off Part B, Gold Standard plus finders fee removes Part B entirely, registered charities 50 per cent off both parts. Invoice fee £60.50, paper application £179.70 19 August 2026
Sutton £319.40 per let, for a licence of up to 5 years. Established from sutton.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The same rate applies under the borough-wide additional scheme. £300 penalty fee where the property is discovered unlicensed, and £300 where a complete application is not supplied within 28 days of initial submission 25 August 2026
Tower Hamlets £977 online, two-part: Part A £453.50 + Part B £583.50, plus £68.50 per habitable room. Postal application £1,147 paid in full. Established from towerhamlets.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026, effective from 1 April 2026. Missing-documents administration charge £112.50; floor-plan preparation £40 per hour 19 August 2026
Waltham Forest Banded by unit count, two-part with a 50/50 split. Established from walthamforest.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026, page modified July 2026. Up to 8 units £1,650 (Part A £825 + Part B £825); 9 to 19 units £2,200 (£1,100 + £1,100); 20 units or more £5,500 (£2,750 + £2,750). Licence up to 5 years 19 August 2026
Wandsworth Banded by bedrooms, two-part with a flat Part B of £675. Established from wandsworth.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026, updated 1 April 2026. 3 bedrooms £1,711 (£1,036 + £675); 4 £1,769; 5 £1,827; 6 £1,885; 7 £1,943; 8 £2,001; 9 £2,059; 10 or more £2,117 (£1,442 + £675), pro rata above 10 units. Part A rises £58 per bedroom 25 August 2026

South East (47)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Adur £1,295 two-part: £810 on application + £485 on grant for five bedrooms or fewer, plus £55 per unit of accommodation above five. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 18 August 2026
Arun £2,387 for a 5-person HMO, two-part: Part 1 £1,942 (non-refundable, includes the first five occupants) + Part 2 licence issue £445. Plus £50 for each occupant above five. No fee is payable for a fully self-contained let within the house. Established from arun.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026, labelled Fees and charges 2026-27, effective from 1 April 2026. Pre-application advice £180 then £81 per hour; online application assistance £81 per hour; copy documentation £25 20 August 2026
Ashford £871. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Basingstoke and Deane £782. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Bracknell Forest Two-stage, 2026/27, effective from 1 April 2026. Established 19 Aug 2026 from the Public Protection Partnership fees schedule, the shared service of Bracknell Forest and West Berkshire. New assisted application £1,480 (Stage 1 £888 + Stage 2 £592). Renewal £999 (Stage 1 £600 + Stage 2 £399) 18 August 2026
Brighton and Hove Banded by tenancy type and occupancy, two-part (Part A on application, Part B within 10 working days of approval). Established from brighton-hove.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. Single-tenancy HMO, standard initial: £871 (5 occupants), £891 (6-8), £913 (9-11), £934 (12-14); above 14 add £22 per 3 extra occupants. Re-licence £711 / £721 / £733 / £743, above 14 add £12 per 3. Multiple-tenancy HMO, standard initial: £1,093 (5 tenancies), £1,263 (6-8), £1,412 (9-11), £1,560 (12-14); re-licence £891 / £913 / £923 / £945. Two £75 discount tiers (accreditation or Propertymark, EPC C or above, charitable status), maximum £150. Late applications cost more, for example £987 at 5 occupants 25 August 2026
Buckinghamshire £500 non-refundable on application, with the balance payable before the licence is issued. Total £1,050 for a 5-bedroom property, plus £50 for each additional bedroom. Established from buckinghamshire.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. Landlord association member rate £998. Application arising from enforcement £1,575. Copy of licence £44. Variation £184. HMO advice visit £184 18 August 2026
Canterbury £1,498.97 for up to five people living there, per the council apply page. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 18 August 2026
Dartford £905. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Dover New licence £1,298 for up to eight habitable rooms, plus £72 for each habitable room above eight. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee recorded in the licensing evidence on this row. The previously held value omitted the per-room increment 18 August 2026
Eastleigh PER-OCCUPANT INCREMENT above five with a cap, two-part, from 1 October 2025. Up to 5 occupants £1,450 total, split £725 as the first payment on application and £725 as the second payment on the decision to grant. Over 5 occupants, £37.50 per additional occupant up to a maximum of £1,600. Established from eastleigh.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The previously held £1,095 is not a figure Eastleigh publishes 19 August 2026
Elmbridge £600. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Fareham Two-stage, banded by people, 5-year licence. Established from the Fareham HMO application form on fareham.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. Fee on application plus fee on grant: up to 5 people £500 + £340 = £840; 6 to 10 people £650 + £400 = £1,050; 11 to 15 £800 + £460 = £1,260; 16 to 20 £900 + £570 = £1,470; more than 20 £1,000 + £680 = £1,680. Registered charities are exempt from HMO licence fees. CAVEAT: the form fetched is labelled 2018/19 while the live page references a 2023 form, and the council Fees and Charges 2025/26 PDF exposes no HMO line, so the current-year figures need reconfirming 19 August 2026
Folkestone and Hythe £1,130. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Guildford £1,037.34. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Hart £893. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Hastings Two-part, banded by units, with roughly a 10 per cent uplift between bands. Established from hastings.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. Up to 5 individual bedsit units £638 (Part 1) + £624 (Part 2) = £1,262; 6 to 10 units £1,388; 11 to 15 £1,514; 16 to 20 £1,640; 21 to 25 £1,766; 25 to 30 £1,892. Part 2 is not payable if the application is refused. The same fees apply to new applications and renewals. Maximum five years, non-transferable, no refunds for unspent periods, no accreditation discount listed 19 August 2026
Havant Banded by occupant count, single fee per band, 5-year licence. Established from havant.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. 0 to 5 occupants £817.09; 6 to 10 £873.66; 11 to 15 £984.64; 16 to 20 £1,302.34; over 20 charged at an additional hourly rate. No accreditation, early-bird or renewal discount published and no difference between paper and online. The page does not state a fee-year 5 August 2026
Horsham Banded by HMO class and occupier or unit count, from the council HMO licence fee calculator for new applications (Housing Act 2004 Part 2 s.63). Established 19 Aug 2026. Shared houses: 5 occupiers £1,067; 6 £1,088; 7 £1,110; 8 £1,131; 9 £1,152; 10 £1,173; 11 £1,194; 12 £1,214; 13 £1,235; 14 £1,256; 15 £1,277; 16 £1,299. Bedsits and other non-self-contained: £1,235 for up to 2 units rising to £3,422 at 28 units. Hostels: £1,067 up to 10, £1,488 for 11 to 20, £1,909 for 21 to 40, £2,329 for 41 to 60. Renewals are discounted and use a separate calculator. Registered charities may apply for a 50 per cent reduction. CAVEAT: the calculator states no fee year 18 August 2026
Maidstone £930. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Medway £1,305.30 flat, a single per-property fee. £1,160.10 for a second or subsequent property. Renewal £730.07 where there is no significant change, or £829.37 with changes. Established from medway.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. THIS IS THE ONLY LIVE LICENSING FEE IN MEDWAY 21 August 2026
Milton Keynes Flat two-part £730. Established from milton-keynes.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The council states "The licence fee for new applications and renewals is £730 and is charged in two parts: The Part 1 fee is £485 and is payable at the time of application... The Part 2 fee is £245 and is payable on approval of the application." Not per room or per person. No fee to vary a licence. Licence up to 5 years. NOTE a legacy figure of £344 appears on older Milton Keynes application PDFs and on GOV.UK; that is stale and the £730 service page is current 5 August 2026
Mole Valley £868.50. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 19 August 2026
New Forest £317. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 19 August 2026
Oxford Banded by category and two-stage, from 1 April 2026, established from oxford.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. Oxford issues one-year new licences with multi-year renewals. Category B standard new application: Stage 1 £407 + Stage 2 £451 = £858 (2025/26 was £780). Category A higher rate, where unlicensed 12 weeks or more: £3,190. Category F five-year renewal: £130 + £480 = £610. Category C standard annual renewal £392. Category E two-year renewal £432. Paper form surcharge £315 new, £265 renewal. HMO advice visit £280 25 August 2026
Reading £1,500 taken in two equal parts: £750 on application covering processing, and £750 covering compliance. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 25 August 2026
Runnymede £815. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 17 August 2026
Rushmoor Banded by occupancy, 5-year licence: 5 occupants £1,108; 6-10 £1,389; 11-15 £1,659; 16-20 £1,943; 21+ £2,214. £75 reduction for members of listed landlord associations. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Sevenoaks From 1 April 2026: new application £1,031.17 for up to 5 units, plus £24.40 per additional unit; renewal £1,031.17; increase in occupier numbers £102.50 19 August 2026
South Oxfordshire Two-part, bedroom-banded, 5-year licence: up to 5 beds £591 + £394 = £985; 6 £1,023; 7 £1,061; 8 £1,099; 9 £1,137; 10 £1,175. Advice visits £196. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Southampton Southampton publishes one HMO pricing schedule. All Inclusive Rate £960; Compliant and Timely rate £560 for applications within 3 months; Landlord Independent HMO Surveyor Compliant Rate £250. Not subject to VAT. Banded by compliance route, not by occupant count. Retrieved first-party 20 Aug 2026 via harvest-urls 20 August 2026
Spelthorne Two-part flat fee, same for new and renewal. Established from spelthorne.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. £2,225.00 in total, of which the processing fee is £913 and the maintenance fee is £1,312. A 5 per cent discount applies for membership of a professional landlord association and a 10 per cent discount on a further basis stated on the page. CAVEAT: no fee year is stated 28 May 2026
Surrey Heath £773.70 for members of a recognised landlord accreditation scheme or association (5-year licence). Standard non-accredited fee not yet established from a council page 19 August 2026
Swale £857 flat for a House in Multiple Occupation licence, reduced to £728 for an accredited landlord. Renewal £671, or £571 accredited. Applied for and paid via GOV.UK. Established from swale.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The previously held £1,065 is not a figure Swale publishes 19 August 2026
Tandridge £868.50 flat for a 5-year licence. The council may issue a 12-month licence instead where management arrangements are unsatisfactory. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Test Valley 2026/27, two-part: Part 1 £466.00 on application (up to 5-year licence) plus £25.00 per room above 5 rooms; Part 2 operation charge £249.00 on grant. Total £715.00 for up to 5 rooms. Renewal Part 1 £383.00. Late applications carry a supplementary operation charge of £338.00 19 August 2026
Tunbridge Wells From 1 April 2026, banded by occupancy: new licence 5-7 occupants £813, 8 or more £908. Renewal 5-7 £701, 8 or more £748. 5-year licence 19 August 2026
Vale of White Horse Two-part, banded by bedrooms, 5-year licence: up to 5 beds £591 + £394 = £985; 6 £1,023; 7 £1,061; 8 £1,099; 9 £1,137; 10 £1,175. Advice visit £187. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Waverley £807.70 per property new, £710.50 renewal (after 5 years). Plus £30.60 for 11-15 units of accommodation and £12.20 per unit above 15. £25 discount for approved landlord association members. £100 late application charge. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Wealden Banded base plus increment, split by property type. Established from wealden.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. Shared houses: 5 persons £808; 6 £823; 7 £839; 8 £855; 9 £870, with each person thereafter adding £16. Bedsit accommodation: 2 units £933; 3 £996; 4 £1,059; 5 £1,121; 6 £1,184, with each unit thereafter adding £63. Licence normally five years. Renewal and hostel fees are given on request. CAVEAT: the council presents this as the proposed fee structure under the revised mandatory scheme with no year label, so treat as possibly stale 5 August 2026
West Berkshire £1,480 for a new assisted application, two-stage: Stage 1 £888 + Stage 2 £592. Renewal £999, being Stage 1 £600 + Stage 2 £399. Effective 1 April 2026, so current for 2026/27. Set by the Public Protection Partnership, the shared regulatory service that acts as licensing authority for West Berkshire, on the same schedule as Bracknell Forest and Wokingham. Established from the PPP Fees and Charges schedule on decisionmaking.westberks.gov.uk 20 Aug 2026 20 August 2026
West Oxfordshire Two-part: Part 1 application £242.00 + Part 2 licence issue £1,097.00 = £1,339.00 (up to 6 rooms), plus £41.00 per room from 7 rooms. Renewal £242.00 + £994.00, plus £21.00 per room from 7 rooms capped at £200.00. 5-year licence. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Winchester From 1 April 2026, two-part: new licence £1,247 (administration £528 on submission + management £719). Re-licensing £983 (administration £264 + management £719). 5-year licence 19 August 2026
Windsor and Maidenhead New: first property up to 5 bedrooms £920.70; second and subsequent properties £847.00; plus £30.80 per bedroom above 5. Renewal £847.00 plus £30.80 per extra bedroom. Chase and admin £50.00 per hour, duplicate licence £11.18. Maximum 5-year licence. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Woking BASE PLUS INCREMENT, from 5 January 2026. New licence Part 1 £700 plus £10 per bedroom let, plus Part 2 £130. Council worked examples: 2 bed or 3 person additional £850 (£720 + £130); 4 bed or 4 person £870; 5 bed mandatory £880; 6 bed £890; 9 bed £920. Renewal Part 1 £500 plus £10 per bedroom plus £130. Licences usually last three years. Discounts: accredited landlord £100 off Part 2, registered charity or not-for-profit £200 off Part 1. Established from woking.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The pre-5-January-2026 flat mandatory fee of £880 is superseded 25 August 2026
Wokingham Two-stage, 2026/27, effective from 1 April 2026. Established 19 Aug 2026 from the Public Protection Partnership fees schedule, which states that where services are provided to Wokingham Borough Council the same fees are levied. New assisted application £1,480 (Stage 1 £888 + Stage 2 £592). Renewal £999 (Stage 1 £600 + Stage 2 £399) 21 August 2026
Worthing £810 base plus £55 per unit of accommodation above 5, payable on application and non-refundable. For example a 7-bed shared house is £920. Licence valid up to 5 years. Joint Adur and Worthing schedule. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026

South West (14)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Bath and North East Somerset Two-part, established from bathnes.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. New licence £1,025 (Part 1 £620 on application + Part 2 £405 balance). Renewal £925 (Part 1 £620 + Part 2 £305), taken from the council renewal page. £50 discount for a fully complete online application with all documents and email consent. Missed inspection £50 20 August 2026
Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole £1,511 new, two-part with stage 1 at £486. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 18 August 2026
Bristol Two-part, established from bristol.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026: new licence £1,886 (£1,121 payment one + £765 payment two), 5-year licence. Renewal £1,564 (£929 + £635). £150 Rent with Confidence accreditation discount and £150 refund for supplying safety certificates. Per-additional-household charge removed 6 April 2024 25 August 2026
Cornwall £1,481.04. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Dorset Flat fee, from 1 April 2025. Established from dorsetcouncil.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The council states "we now charge £810 for the first 5 year licence and £670 to renew for a further 5 years. A 10% discount applies for landlords committing to the standards required by the Landlord Forum or one of the three main national landlord associations. Fees for these members are reduced to £729 for a new licence and £603 for a renewal." Dorset is a unitary created 1 April 2019 from Christchurch, East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, West Dorset and Weymouth and Portland, and no predecessor designation appears to have carried over. Distinct from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, a separate unitary 18 August 2026
Exeter Two-part with a per-room increment, labelled 2024/2025 on the council page and therefore possibly superseded by an April uprating. Established from exeter.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026: Part A £290.00, Part B £750.00 for up to 5 bedrooms, total £1,040.00, plus a bedroom charge of £10.50 per bedroom for the sixth and above. £125 reduction at Part B stage for landlords accredited under a nationally recognised scheme 28 May 2026
Forest of Dean £1,332.51 total for a new licence, two-part: application fee Part 1 £240.88 + licence issue fee Part 2 £1,091.63. An additional fee applies for seven or more rooms at £41.00 per additional letting room, capped at £400.00. Renewal: Part 1 £240.88 + Part 2 £989.13, plus £21 per room over six capped at £200. Five-year licence. Established from fdean.gov.uk 20 Aug 2026 20 August 2026
Mid Devon Two-part, banded by units, 2026/2027. Established from middevon.gov.uk private sector housing fees and charges 19 Aug 2026. New licence: 3 to 5 units £814.00 + £269.00 = £1,083.00; 6 to 10 units £904.00 + £269.00 = £1,173.00; 11 or more units £993.00 + £269.00 = £1,262.00. Renewal 3 to 5 units £615.00; 6 to 10 £660.00; 11 or more £705.00 19 August 2026
Somerset New: Part 1 £738 + Part 2 £211 = £949 (up to 5 people), plus £43 per additional person. Renewal: £625 + £211 = £836, plus £33 per additional person. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
South Hams £446.40 flat (5-year licence), plus a separate fit and proper fee of £144.00. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Stroud £1,398 per property for a 5-year licence, paid in two parts: £403 non-refundable on application, £995 before the licence is issued. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Swindon 2026/27, two-part and banded by occupants, cheaper online: up to 10 occupants online £800.23 + £673.88 = £1,474.11 (paper £1,755.18); more than 10 online £905.52 + £779.18 = £1,684.70 (paper £1,965.48). 5-year licence 19 August 2026
Tewkesbury 2025/26, two-part: £310.00 non-refundable on application + £800.00 before the licence is issued = £1,110.00 for up to 5 occupants, plus £41.00 per additional person. 2026/27 list published but not yet read 19 August 2026
Torridge 2026/27, two-part: Part A application £446.00 (includes DBS) + Part B grant £341.00 = £787.00. Renewal £787.00. Variation £84.00 with inspection, £37.00 without. VAT exempt 19 August 2026

East of England (28)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Babergh £564.76. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Braintree £1,040 total, two-part: application fee £595 + issue of licence £445. Renewal £550. Up to a five-year life. Fee year 2026/27. Braintree operates mandatory licensing only, with no additional or selective scheme. Established from braintree.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The previously held £1,071 is not a figure Braintree publishes 19 August 2026
Brentwood Flat fee. Established from brentwood.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. New licence £890, renewal £603. The council states a licence is issued for five years and the property is subject to inspection during that period. CAVEAT: no fee year is stated 20 August 2026
Broadland BASE PLUS INCREMENT. £835.88 for a five-year HMO licence covering up to 5 lettings, plus £38.91 per letting from 6 lettings upward. Renewal £835.88. Licence changes £38.91. 2026/27. Established from the shared Broadland and South Norfolk site 19 Aug 2026. This figure belongs to BROADLAND DISTRICT; the partnership publishes separate schedules and South Norfolk's own figure is £1,050.62. The previously held £1,170 is not a figure Broadland publishes 19 August 2026
Broxbourne Base plus per-bedroom increment, paid in two equal instalments. Established from broxbourne.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The council states the fee for a new or renewed HMO licence is "£1,750 per property; £153 for each bedroom over 5 bedrooms", with £875 paid when the third part of the application is submitted and the second £875 plus any additional bedroom fee paid later. Licence usually five years. CAVEAT: no fee year is stated. Broxbourne is in Hertfordshire and is entirely unrelated to Broxtowe in Nottinghamshire 18 August 2026
Cambridge £1,133 for the year 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, reduced to £1,000 where the application is made at least 8 weeks before the current licence expires. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 28 May 2026
Chelmsford PER-UNIT INCREMENT above five. £900 for an HMO with up to five units of accommodation. For HMOs with more than five units, £900 for the first five units plus £55 for each additional unit. Five-year licence. Chelmsford operates mandatory licensing only, with no additional or selective scheme. Established from chelmsford.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The previously held £1,085 is not a figure Chelmsford publishes 19 August 2026
Colchester PER-LETTING INCREMENT above five, two-part. New application for a 5 bed or letting property £1,110 total: £525 on submission + £525 on the decision to issue, plus £75 per additional letting room or bedroom above 5. Renewal £1,000 (£475 + £475) plus £75 per room above 5. Fee year 2026. Colchester operates mandatory licensing only, with no additional or selective scheme and no Article 4. Established from colchester.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The previously held £890 is not a figure Colchester publishes 19 August 2026
Dacorum £1,563 total for up to 5 rooms, two-part: Part 1 initial licence fee application, which also covers renewals, £610; Part 2 ongoing management of the mandatory licensing scheme for a five-year licence £953. A one-year Part 2 is £287. Additional bedrooms are £25 for each room over the standard five. Fee year 2026-2027. Licences usually run five years. Established from dacorum.gov.uk 20 Aug 2026 20 August 2026
East Hertfordshire Two-part, 2025/26. Established from eastherts.gov.uk environmental health fees and charges 19 Aug 2026. New application for an HMO with no more than five bedrooms: Part 1 £1,157 + Part 2 £305 = £1,462, or £1,432 if the full fee is paid at application. Plus £31 for each bedroom above five. Renewal Part 1 £916 + Part 2 £305 = £1,221, or £1,191 upfront, plus £31 per bedroom above five. Five-year licence. CAVEAT: the fee page is still headed from 1 April 2025 so may be one uprate behind 19 August 2026
East Suffolk £785.00 for properties with up to and including five lettable units, plus £25.00 for each unit over five. Relicensing after five years with no structural changes £160.00. Variation no charge. Established from the East Suffolk Fees and Charges PDF 19 Aug 2026 but labelled 2025/26, so this figure is STALE. No 2026/27 schedule was locatable on the council domain and the HMO landing page no longer prints a number 20 August 2026
Epping Forest Base plus per-unit increment. Established from eppingforestdc.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The council states "A licence fee per 5 units of accommodation is £1,036.00. An additional £41.00 is charged for each extra unit of accommodation", so an eight-unit HMO is £1,036 plus three lots of £41. Licences normally run five years. Online applications only, paper no longer accepted. CAVEAT: no fee year is stated 18 August 2026
Fenland £750. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Harlow £850. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Hertsmere £1,250 for a mandatory HMO licence valid 5 years, up to 5 persons, from the council Register of Fees and Charges 2025/26, Appendix E. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the licensing evidence on this row. CAVEAT: the source schedule is 2025/26, so check for an April 2026 uprating 18 August 2026
King's Lynn and West Norfolk £861. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Luton Banded two-part, established from luton.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. 3 bedrooms Part A £705.55 + Part B £436.72 = £1,142.27; 4 bedrooms £818.85 + £529.42 = £1,348.27; 5 bedrooms £932.15 + £622.12 = £1,554.27, rising with size. Part A non-refundable on application, Part B before issue, maximum five-year licence. This SUPERSEDES an older 2024 fees PDF quoting a flat Part 1 £130 plus Part 2 £390 structure; those figures are stale and must not be used 19 August 2026
Mid Suffolk £564.76. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 19 August 2026
North Norfolk £930 for up to 6 units (5-year licence), plus £30 per additional unit. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Norwich £1,141 (£636 on application + £505 on grant, 5-year licence). Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Peterborough £1,100 total, two-part: Part A £367 + Part B £733, both paid on submission with only Part B refundable if the licence is not issued. Flat fee, five-year licence. Established from peterborough.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026 19 August 2026
Rochford Base plus per-room, established from rochford.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026: "Fee for mandatory licensing of HMO - Up to 5 bedrooms £423.92 - For each additional bedroom £66.55 - Renewal of Licence 50% of the Fee". Licence lasts 5 years. Published on rochford.gov.uk itself rather than a shared-services domain. NOTE the page was last updated April 2023, so the figure may have been uprated since 5 August 2026
South Cambridgeshire 2026/2027: £895 for up to 5 bedrooms (5-year licence), plus £36 per additional bedroom. Renewal £544 for up to 5 bedrooms, plus £24 per additional bedroom 19 August 2026
South Norfolk 2025/26: £1,050.62 flat for a 5-year licence; renewal £654.20; variation £168.43 19 August 2026
St Albans £207 per person with a minimum fee of £1,035, for a licence lasting up to 5 years. Variation of licence £230. Established from stalbans.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026 5 August 2026
Thurrock Banded by number of rooms, two-part, stated to apply from 1 April 2025 so treat as 2025/26 and re-check for an April 2026 uprating. Established from thurrock.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. New 5-year licence: 2 to 5 rooms £694 application + £976 licence = £1,670; 6 to 10 £722 + £1,018; 11 to 15 £866 + £1,059; 16 to 20 £855 + £1,120; 21 to 29 £966 + £1,434; 30 or more £1,138 + £1,637. Renewal 2 to 5 rooms £650 + £890 = £1,540. Lapsed licence 2 to 5 rooms £1,670. Paper application plus £108. Change of manager £255. Assistance £85 per hour 19 August 2026
Uttlesford 2026/27, two-part: Part 1 £658.00 + Part 2 £736.00 = £1,394.00 for up to 5 bedrooms, plus £39.00 per additional room. Renewal £736.00. 5% discount for a valid unprompted application. 5-year licence. Excludes VAT 19 August 2026
West Suffolk From 1 April 2025, two-stage: new licence Stage 1 £460 + Stage 2 £210 = £670. Renewal Stage 1 £335 + Stage 2 £215 = £550. Variation £110. Revocation and temporary exemption notice free 19 August 2026

East Midlands (17)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Bolsover £607. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Broxtowe Flat single fee, same for new and renewal, 2026/27. Established 19 Aug 2026 from the Broxtowe Overview and Scrutiny Committee business plans and financial estimates 2026/27 to 2028/29, dated 19 January 2026. Full licence or renewal £830.00, up from £805.00 in 2025/26. Reduced fee of £770.00 (from £745.00) where the application is for a second or subsequent HMO. The council notes the fee includes an application fee and a grant fee, and that up to 20 per cent may be reimbursed if an application is withdrawn before the licence issues. This supersedes a stale £560 figure from a 2019 committee report. Broxtowe is in Nottinghamshire and is entirely unrelated to Broxbourne in Hertfordshire 18 August 2026
Charnwood £700 two-stage: £395 stage 1 + £305 stage 2. Re-licence before expiry £615. DASH-accredited holder £615, an £85 discount off stage 2. Mandatory only adds £10 per bedroom above 6. Established from charnwood.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. CAVEAT: the fee page was last updated 25 August 2023 and has not been relabelled for 2026/27, so treat as potentially stale 25 August 2026
Chesterfield £887. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Harborough Flat £980.00 for a 5-year licence, from the 2026/27 column of the council fees table, established from harborough.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The entry reads "House in multiple occupation for 5 Year license". No split, banding, discount or surcharge published 18 August 2026
High Peak £450. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Hinckley and Bosworth £800. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Leicester £900 flat. The council states "The licence costs £900". Established from leicester.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026 19 August 2026
Lincoln £1,470. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Melton £964. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 19 August 2026
North East Derbyshire £607 (£496 on application + £111 on grant). Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
North West Leicestershire £947 two-stage: initial fee £410 on submission + £537 before the licence is issued. Established from nwleics.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026, page updated 20 April 2026. The previously held value of 947.00 was correct and has been confirmed rather than replaced 19 August 2026
Nottingham Two-part, from 1 April 2025, established from the Nottingham Housing Licensing Fee Policy 19 Aug 2026. Up to 9 bedrooms: standard non-accredited Part A £673 + Part B £880 = £1,553; accredited (Nottingham Rental Standard, Unipol or DASH) £673 + £495 = £1,168; less compliant £673 + £1,435 = £2,108. Plus £28 per bedroom for 10 or more bedrooms. Paper application £38 plus £72 processing. Missed inspection £55. Armed forces reduction £50 19 August 2026
Rushcliffe Two-part, banded by bedrooms: 5 bed £735 + £260 = £995; 6-10 bed £840 + £295 = £1,135; 11-15 bed £900 + £315 = £1,215; 15+ bed £960 + £340 = £1,300. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
South Holland £720 for up to 5 bedrooms (5-year licence), plus £70 per additional room. Split Part A on application and Part B on grant. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
South Kesteven 2026/27, two-part and bedroom-banded: new 5-bed Part A £570.50 + Part B £563.00 = £1,133.50; renewal £414.50 + £563.00 = £977.50; plus £18.00 Part A and £90.00 Part B per bedroom above 5 19 August 2026
West Northamptonshire Two-part with a per-person increment, and the SAME Standard HMO Licence Fee covers both the mandatory and the additional scheme. 2026/27: Part 1 £650.00 + Part 2 £855.00 = £1,505.00, plus £48.00 on Part 2 per person after 5. 2025/26 was Part 1 £628.00 + Part 2 £824.00 = £1,452.00, plus £46.00 per person after 5. Renewal is charged identically. Also: supported application £115 per hour, pre-application inspection £230.21, missed inspection £115.11, copy licence £49.18. Retrieved first-party from the West Northamptonshire Fees and Charges 2026-27 schedule, Appendix E, 20 Aug 2026 via harvest-urls 20 August 2026

West Midlands (15)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Cannock Chase £1,028.55. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Herefordshire £1,404. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Lichfield £850. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
North Warwickshire £904 (5-9 occupiers), £952 (10-14), £1,000 (15-19), £1,046 (20+); renewals £833 / £870 / £907 / £944. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Nuneaton and Bedworth £841 (5 occupiers), £882 (6-10), £923 (11+). Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Rugby Renewal £1,177. New application is two-part (administration fee plus regulation fee on grant); figure not yet captured first-party. £900 surcharge where the HMO was found unlicensed. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Shropshire £1,200 up to and including 5 units, plus £170 per additional unit thereafter. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
South Staffordshire £704.00 flat (no fee-year stated on the council page). Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Stafford 2026/27: £858.15 first application (up to 8 bedrooms), £738.70 renewal, plus £32.55 per bedroom above 8. Accredited landlords 10% less (£772.55 / £664.75). £67.00 for a returned incomplete application. 5-year licence 19 August 2026
Staffordshire Moorlands £450.00 first application (5-year licence), £350.00 subsequent application. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Stratford-on-Avon 2026/27, two-part (75% Part A, 25% Part B on grant), banded by occupants: new 5-10 £1,030.02; 11-15 £1,138.26; 16-20 £1,246.40; +£112.44 per group of 10 above 20. Renewal 5-10 £924.65; 11-15 £1,024.39; 16-20 £1,225.59 19 August 2026
Tamworth Banded by occupant count, two-stage, labelled 2026/2027. Established from tamworth.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. 5 persons Stage 1 £318 + Stage 2 £380 = £698; 6 to 10 persons £357 + £421 = £778; 11 or more £397 + £461 = £858. Advisory visit £118, which reduces Stage 1 by £50 if an application follows. Licences are non-transferable 21 August 2026
Telford and Wrekin Banded by occupant count, two-stage, and the SAME schedule applies to mandatory and additional licences. Established from telford.gov.uk and the council HMO Licensing Fee Schedule of December 2025, read 19 Aug 2026. 3 or 4 occupants £1,522.42; 5 occupants £1,522.42; 6 to 12 occupants £1,639.53; 13 to 20 occupants £1,756.65; 21 or more £1,873.77. Split Stage 1 £1,123.14 on application + Stage 2 £399.27 within 14 days of the Decision to Issue. Five-year licence, and the full fee is payable even where a licence is issued for a shorter period. The mandatory threshold band of 5 occupants therefore costs £1,522.42. The previously held bare figure of £1,180 is not a Telford and Wrekin figure and is disproven 21 August 2026
Warwick From 1 January 2026, two-stage and banded by occupants: 3-5 occupants £819.00 + £273.00 = £1,092.00; 6-12 £1,264.00; 13-20 £1,448.00; 21+ £1,672.00. Renewal 3-5 £635.00 + £212.00 = £847.00; 6-12 £974.00; 13-20 £1,120.00; 21+ £1,289.00. Late Documents Charge £80.00. Online payment only 19 August 2026
Worcester Banded by units, two-part, Part B a flat £625.00 in every band. Fee year 2026-2027, retrieved first-party 20 Aug 2026 from the live Worcester private sector housing fees page, which has moved on from both the 2024/25 schedule and a 2025-2026 table reported by an earlier pass. New application, "Fees for Mandatory Licensable HMOs (five+ occupants)": up to 5 units £996.22 + £625.00 = £1,621.22; 6 to 8 units £1,013.72 + £625.00 = £1,638.73, where the page prints a total a penny above the sum of the parts and is quoted as published; 9 to 15 units £1,031.24 + £625.00 = £1,656.24; 16 to 23 units £1,066.26 + £625.00 = £1,691.26; 24 and above £1,102.31 + £625.00 = £1,727.31. Renewal £1,491.44 at up to 5 units rising to £1,599.59 at 24 and above, same £625.00 Part B throughout. A penalty fee for operating an unlicensed HMO is charged in addition to the licence fee 20 August 2026

West Midlands (met county) (4)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Coventry £944 two-stage for a new five-year licence (Stage 1 £716 + Stage 2 £228). Same schedule as the additional scheme. Established from coventry.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026 19 August 2026
Sandwell £1,021 first application (£655 + £366), renewal £727.25 (£507.25 + £220). Same schedule as the additional scheme. Established from sandwell.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. CAVEAT: the table is labelled 2025/26 so a 1 April 2026 uprate may not be reflected 19 August 2026
Solihull £1,075 flat, a single non-refundable fee for 5 or more occupants in 2 or more households. Plus £43 for each additional let or person over 7, £215 for a subsequent licence on change of holder, and £145 where an inadequate application requires review. NRLA discount £108. Solihull operates the mandatory scheme only. Established from solihull.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The previously held value of 1075 was correct and has been confirmed 19 August 2026
Walsall Banded by persons, two-stage, fees from 1 April 2023. Established from go.walsall.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. Non-accredited first application: 5 to 6 persons £930 + £310 = £1,240; 7 to 8 £1,510; 9 to 14 £2,215; 15 to 19 £2,375; up to 30 persons £3,140; plus £80 for each additional person. Accredited first application: 5 to 6 persons £740 + £250 = £990; 7 to 8 £1,265; 9 to 14 £1,825. Renewals lower: non-accredited 5 to 6 £920, accredited 5 to 6 £680. A £70 reduction applies per additional HMO, taken off the second-stage fee. Licence up to 5 years, though the council may issue 1 year in specified cases. No variation fee 21 August 2026

Yorkshire and the Humber (4)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Doncaster £890 plus £65 for each additional bedroom over five. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee recorded in the licensing evidence on this row. The previously held value omitted the per-bedroom increment 24 August 2026
East Riding of Yorkshire £1,205 for a 5-year HMO licence. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 21 August 2026
North East Lincolnshire Two-stage, five-year licences only. Established from nelincs.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. Basic new licence for a maximum of 6 occupants £850, plus £115 for each additional occupant with no maximum. Basic renewal for a maximum of 6 occupants £850. Basic variation £160. A non-refundable Stage 1 application fee of £150 is paid on application, with Stage 2 due on the decision to issue. Optional pre-licensing advice visit £289 plus VAT, £347 inclusive 25 August 2026
York Banded by occupants, two-stage, 2026/27. Band A 3 to 6 occupants £1,524 (£914 + £610); Band B 7 to 9 £1,779 (£1,067 + £712); Band C 10 to 14 £1,944 (£1,166 + £778); Band D 15 or more £2,186 (£1,312 + £874). £75 discount on the second stage for a relevant HMO qualification. Not-for-profit homelessness providers may pay no fee. Licences normally five years. Established from york.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. An earlier committee proposed-fees appendix with lower bands, for example Band A £1,195, is superseded 25 August 2026

South Yorkshire (1)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Barnsley BASE PLUS INCREMENT, not a flat fee. £800 for a property with up to five bedrooms, plus £50 for each bedroom above five. Paid in two instalments: £368 on submission and the balance on approval. Five-year licence. Established from barnsley.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The previously held £800 was the BASE only and omitted the per-bedroom increment 19 August 2026

West Yorkshire (1)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Kirklees Banded by bed spaces: £664 for 5 to 6 bed spaces, £764 for 7 to 8, £882 for nine or more. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 21 August 2026

North West (8)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Blackburn with Darwen £900 for up to 10 lets, plus £30 per let above 10. Established from blackburn.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The page does not state a fee year 18 August 2026
Cheshire East Banded by number of units, for applications received between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027, established from cheshireeast.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026 (page last reviewed 2 April 2026). First-time licence £1,076 (5-6 units), £1,142 (7-12), £1,236 (13-20), £1,315 (21 or more). Renewal £861 (5-6), £913 (7-12), £966 (13-20), £1,026 (21 or more). Plus £100 surcharge for a manual or paper application. Advice visit or aborted appointment £126. No accreditation discount stated 18 August 2026
Cheshire West and Chester £786. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 18 August 2026
Fylde Flat £940 per property, established from new.fylde.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The council states "This fee is currently £940 per property". No Part A and Part B split and no banding published. Licence lasts up to 5 years. No fee-year or last-updated date shown on the page 18 August 2026
Preston £850 for a five-year licence, payable in two parts: an initial non-refundable application fee of £150 on submission, and the balance of £700 as the HMO licence monitoring fee when the proposed licence has been issued. A late application adds £124, giving £974. From 1 April 2025. Established from preston.gov.uk article 8469, read 19 Aug 2026. CONFLICT ON THE COUNCIL'S OWN SITE: a separate apply page, article 8468, still shows an older figure of £608. Article 8469 is treated as current and 8468 as out of date. The previously held £865 matches neither 19 August 2026
Rossendale New: Part A £719.70 on application + Part B £279.50 on grant (£999.20). Renewal: Part A £700.70 + Part B £279.50 (£980.20). Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Westmorland and Furness £700 for a 5-bedroom property plus £20 per room thereafter, for both new licences and renewals. Licence up to 5 years. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Wyre £1,200.50 initial licence (5 years), renewal £320 for a further 5 years. Source: council Overview and Scrutiny Committee Housing Update, 13 January 2025. Not published on the service page and not yet re-confirmed for the current year 19 August 2026

Greater Manchester (7)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Bolton £893.67 for properties up to 9 rooms, plus £25.66 for each additional room above 9. Single fee, licence up to five years. Established from bolton.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. Surcharges: finding an unlicensed property owner £204.95; reminder, inadequate application and plans letters £20.90 each; copy of the HMO register £31.21 19 August 2026
Bury £665.50 for 5 units, plus £28.00 for each additional unit above 5. Established from the Bury HMO guidance for landlords PDF, uploaded April 2025, read 19 Aug 2026. The council adds that the fee "is reviewed annually please check the website or contact the Private Rented Sector Housing Enforcement Team for the current figure", so treat as provisional. Bury published an HMO licensing policy in 2026 and an evidence base in December 2025 exploring additional and selective licensing, but no discretionary scheme is yet designated 5 August 2026
Oldham £834 licence application fee for 5 bedrooms, plus £35.60 per additional bedroom above 5, plus a £380 compliance and enforcement fee payable once the licence is issued. Established from oldham.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The previously held value was correct and has been confirmed rather than replaced 21 August 2026
Rochdale £1,011 for a five-year licence plus £53 per habitable room. Identical to the additional scheme by council design. Established from rochdale.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026 19 August 2026
Salford Two-part, up to 12 bedrooms. Established from salford.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026, page updated 23 October 2025. First application £679 (part 1) + £291 (part 2) = £970. Subsequent application £945. Accredited landlord first application £945, subsequent £910. Renewal £895. Properties with 13 or more bedrooms add £40 per additional bedroom 21 August 2026
Stockport £1,190 two-part: application £360 + grant £830, for up to 5 bedrooms, plus £38 per room above 5. Renewal £1,112 (£780 + £332). Stockport states it operates the mandatory HMO scheme only. Established from stockport.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026, page updated 13 May 2026. The previously held value of 1190 was correct and has been confirmed 19 August 2026
Trafford £1,012. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 17 August 2026

North East (2)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Middlesbrough £771.00 for a property up to 5 bedrooms, plus a per-additional-bedroom increment (£24.98 under the prior structure), single payment, 5-year licence. Established from the Middlesbrough 2025/26 Fees and Charges Schedule on moderngov.middlesbrough.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026, which records the baseline charge rising from £755.42 to £771.00 from 1 April 2025. CAVEAT: no 2026/27 figure surfaced, so this may be one uprate behind 19 August 2026
Redcar and Cleveland £600 (up to 4 lets), £650 (6), £700 (8), £750 (10), then £750 plus £10 per additional let; plus £30 per fit and proper check. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 21 August 2026

Tyne and Wear (1)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Gateshead Two-part and banded by bedroom count, established from gateshead.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. New or first licence up to 14 bedrooms: Part A £659.80 + Part B £439.88 = £1,099.68. New licence 15 or more bedrooms: £719.32 + £478.69 = £1,198.01. Renewal up to 14 bedrooms £579.92 + £386.62 = £966.54; 15 or more £1,064.99. Variation for increased occupancy £210.97. Accreditation and landlord association discounts apply against Part B (NRLA, UKALA, Safeagent, Propertymark, RICS, GPLA). £10 multi-property discount per additional property. Paper application £50. Incomplete application plus £25 24 August 2026

Wales (15)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Bridgend Flat fee, from 1 April 2026. Established 19 Aug 2026 from Shared Regulatory Services (srs.wales), the joint regulatory body for Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, which publishes the Bridgend figure rather than bridgend.gov.uk. New licence £792, renewal £657. Licence valid 5 years. No fee for variations. The licence is non-transferable, so a change of holder needs a new application 21 August 2026
Cardiff Two-part, banded by bedrooms, with a much higher second part where the property fails inspection. Established 19 Aug 2026 from Shared Regulatory Services (srs.wales), the joint regulatory body that administers HMO licensing for Cardiff with Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan. Initial application fee £160 plus a second payment after inspection: shared house or single flat up to 4 bedrooms £160 + £230 = £390 compliant, £810 non-compliant; 5 to 9 bedrooms £160 + £250 = £410, £860 non-compliant; 10 to 15 bedrooms £160 + £280 = £440, £910; 15 or more £160 + £300 = £460, £960. New owner of a compliant property £40 + £70 = £110, or £100 as a single payment. This is the Housing Act 2004 local authority fee and is not a Rent Smart Wales charge 20 August 2026
Carmarthenshire Banded by occupier count, flat fee per band. Established from carmarthenshire.gov.wales 19 Aug 2026, page last updated 4 February 2026. 3 people £457.70; 4 to 6 people £624.90; 7 to 10 people £793.10; 11 or more £962.50. Variation fees run per band at £23.60, £47.20, £70.70 and £94.30. The mandatory scheme applies across the whole county. CAVEAT: no fee year is stated and the exact-pence values suggest these may not have been uprated for 2026/27 18 August 2026
Ceredigion PER HABITABLE ROOM, not per property. Established from the Ceredigion HMO checklist and fees PDF 19 Aug 2026, effective 1 April 2026 (2026/27). Rooms 1 to 14 inclusive: new licence £334.00 per habitable room, renewal £281.00 per room. Rooms 15 to 25: £59 new, £50 renewal, each. Room 26 upwards: £29 new, £21 renewal. 50 per cent discount for ANUK-compliant student HMOs. New applications split 80 per cent before issue and 20 per cent after; renewals 90/10. An incomplete application costs a further £280. Replacement licence £43, copy of the register £57 24 August 2026
Conwy £956 for up to 4 lets, plus £145 per additional let over 4, as a single payment. By instalments: first instalment £239, second instalment £770 for up to 4 lets. Fees valid from 1 April 2026. Retrieved first-party from the Conwy HMO costs page 20 Aug 2026 via harvest-urls. The figures were in the page HTML all along; the JavaScript accordion was hiding them visually. This is the local authority Housing Act 2004 fee, not a Rent Smart Wales charge 20 August 2026
Denbighshire Banded by storeys and habitable rooms, licence 5 years. Established from sirddinbych.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. Three or more storeys: 4 rooms or fewer £855; 5 rooms £890 (the council calls this the basic fee); 6 £925; 9 £1,030; 11 £1,100; up to 20 £1,415. Two storeys: 4 or fewer £655; 5 £690; 20 £1,215. Single storey: 5 rooms £490; 20 £1,015. Increments of £35 per room for rooms 6 to 10 and £40 per room from 11. A £200 discount applies to a full application made within 8 weeks of notification, new or renewal. Charities pay 50 per cent. A property operating without required planning permission gets a 1-year licence at 75 per cent of the fee. Payable in full or as two equal instalments 20 August 2026
Flintshire £849.40 for the first 5 units, plus £38.79 for each additional unit. Established from flintshire.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The council states the fee is set on a cost recovery basis and covers both application processing and inspection. Service of an enforcement notice under the Housing Act 2004 is £396.68. CAVEAT: the page does not state a fee year 20 August 2026
Gwynedd PER UNIT, not per property. Established from gwynedd.llyw.cymru 19 Aug 2026. The council states the fee is "£160 per unit of accommodation in addition to a £50 fee to process the application". So a £50 flat application charge plus £160 for every unit of accommodation. This is not comparable to a whole-property fee 21 August 2026
Neath Port Talbot £718.97. Corroborated 19 Aug 2026 against the fee quoted in the licensing evidence held on this row; the original capture date was not recorded 20 August 2026
Newport £1,254.70 for a new application covering smaller HMOs of 3 to 5 units or households, plus £72.69 per unit for larger HMOs of 6 or more, capped at £1,840.32. Renewal before expiry £991.97. This is the local authority Housing Act 2004 fee and is not a Rent Smart Wales charge. Established from the Newport HMO guidance notes PDF, July 2024, read 19 Aug 2026. The previously held value of 1000 was wrong 25 August 2026
Rhondda Cynon Taf Two-part, and PART 2 IS CHARGED PER UNIT OF ACCOMMODATION, so this is NOT a whole-property fee. One fee policy covers both mandatory and additional. Part 1 £625 for a new application or late renewal, £594 for early renewal before expiry. Part 2 per unit £179 non-compliant or £147 compliant. Published totals: 2 units £983 non-compliant or £919 compliant; 3 units £1,162 or £1,066; 4 units £1,341 or £1,213; 5 units £1,520 or £1,360; rising to 20 units £4,205 or £3,565. Early renewal columns slightly lower. Extra site visits or correspondence £50. The Treforest Property Accreditation Scheme gives no further discount. Established from the RCT HMO Licensing Fee Policy 19 Aug 2026. CAVEAT: the schedule is labelled 2024/25 and is STALE; two April upratings have passed 19 August 2026
Swansea Banded by number of occupiers, two-part, with a discount for paying in one go. Established from swansea.gov.uk/hmofees 19 Aug 2026. Single-payment discounted rate: 3 occupiers £1,072; 4 £1,152; 5 £1,232; 6 £1,312; 7 £1,392; 8 £1,472; 9 £1,552; 10 £1,632; rising to £2,432 at 20 occupiers. Paid in two parts the 5-occupier fee is £684 (part 1, admin and determination) plus £618 (part 2, ongoing regulation and enforcement). Increasing the maximum occupiers costs £80 per occupier. Licence up to 5 years, discounted early renewal if applied for within 2 months of expiry, no fee to vary manager or holder details. CAVEAT: a second lower table (3 occupiers £1,008, 5 £1,168) appears on the same page and neither is labelled with a fee year. The higher table is taken as current 19 August 2026
Torfaen £708.00 flat for a 5-year licence (local authority mandatory HMO licence, separate from Rent Smart Wales registration). Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 19 August 2026
Vale of Glamorgan £761 (two-stage: initial fee on application, remainder after inspection before the full licence is issued). Renewal £520. Higher fee where the application is non-compliant. 5-year licence. Established from the council's own published fees, read 19 Aug 2026; the source page and the verbatim quote are recorded in the licensing evidence on this row 21 August 2026
Wrexham £898 for a new five-year licence, mandatory or additional, two parts: £493.90 at application stage + £404.10 once a decision to grant has been made and before issue. A one-year licence is £561 (£308.55 + £252.45). Renewal £898. Mandatory and additional share the same fee. This is the local authority Housing Act 2004 fee, not a Rent Smart Wales charge. Established from wrexham.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. The previously held £898 was CORRECT and has been confirmed rather than replaced. An older 2019 renewal figure of £497 is superseded 25 August 2026

Merseyside (1)

CouncilFee, in the council's own wordsWe last checked
Knowsley Banded by number of persons and by licence duration, 2026-2027. Established from knowsley.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026. Five-year licence: 5 persons £875; 6 to 10 persons £1,206; 11 to 15 persons £1,550; 16 and above £1,880. One-year licence: 5 persons £420; 6 to 10 £518; 11 to 15 £621; 16 and above £731. Flat within each band, no two-part split and no per-room increment 19 August 2026

How to read a fee before you budget from it

Three things make the headline number misleading more often than not.

The licence term. A £1,100 five-year licence and a £600 one-year licence are not what they look like. Divide by the term before comparing anything.

Occupancy banding. Several councils price by lettings — one in this table charges "£1,050 (up to 5 lettings) to £1,650 (20+ lettings)". A large HMO can sit well above its council's headline figure.

Split payments. Some fees are payable in two parts, on application and on grant. The application half is usually non-refundable if the licence is refused, which matters if the property is not yet up to standard.

None of that is visible in a "typical range", which is the argument for a table like this one existing at all.

The fee is not the expensive part

Operating an unlicensed HMO that requires a licence is a criminal offence. The civil penalty reaches £30,000, and a tenant can apply for a rent repayment order of up to twelve months' rent. Against that, the difference between a £600 and a £1,600 licence fee is not the number to be watching.

Whether your property counts as a licensable HMO in the first place is the question worth settling before any of this — see what legally counts as an HMO, and note that additional licensing can pull smaller HMOs into scope in some areas.

Try the tool. The licence fee lookup gives you one council on one screen — this table's fee, dated, with the selective and additional position beside it, and a straight "we do not hold it" where we have not read the figure.

Run the free compliance check — five questions, no account, and it tells you which licensing regimes apply at your address.

Common questions

How much is an HMO licence?

It depends entirely on your council. Across the 191 mandatory HMO fees we hold, the figures run from £59 to £2,648, with a median of £949. Comparing them directly is misleading without checking the licence term, because a five-year licence and a one-year licence are often quoted the same way, and several councils band the fee by the number of lettings.

Why is my council missing from the table?

Because we do not hold a verified fee for it. We hold 191 of 317. A missing council is not a council that charges nothing — every council in England and Wales operates mandatory HMO licensing and every one charges for it. Its own licensing page is the authority, and our page for that council links directly to it.

Is the HMO licence fee the same as a selective licence fee?

No, and they are separate licences with separate applications. Mandatory HMO licensing is the national regime for larger HMOs. Selective and additional licensing are discretionary schemes a council designates over part or all of its area, each with its own fee. A property can need more than one.

Can a council change its fee without telling me?

Yes. Fees are set locally and revised without any national announcement, which is why every row in this table carries the date we last checked it rather than presenting itself as permanently current. Treat an old date as a prompt to check the council page before budgeting.

Is the fee refundable if my application is refused?

Usually not in full. Several councils split the fee into an application part and a grant part, and the application part is typically non-refundable because it pays for the assessment work. That is worth knowing before applying for a property that is not yet up to standard.

Sources

Figures about our own council records are computed when this page is built, so they cannot drift from the database. Information tool, not legal advice.

Read next

Licence fees councils actually charge7 min readIs my property an HMO? The three-person, two-household test8 min readAdditional HMO licensing: the scheme for small shared houses6 min readThe complete landlord compliance checklist for 202612 min read

Check a specific property. Look up your council's licensing position across all 317 councils, run the free compliance check — five questions, no account — or check a document with the tenancy agreement checker.

Councils this applies to

Each page carries that council’s own position, with the date we read it.

Landlord HQ uses AI to analyse legislation and tenancy agreements. While we work hard to ensure accuracy, AI can make mistakes. Always verify compliance requirements with a qualified solicitor. Landlord HQ is an information tool, not legal advice.

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