Additional HMO licensing in Gloucester

What the designation says

Gloucester City Council made a citywide additional HMO licensing designation on 9 June 2026, coming into force on 21 September 2026. It covers every ward and applies to houses in multiple occupation with three or more people in two or more households that fall within section 254 of the Housing Act 2004 and are not already caught by mandatory licensing. It also covers section 257 HMOs, meaning buildings converted into self-contained flats where the conversion did not meet the Building Regulations in force at the time and still does not, and fewer than two thirds of the flats are owner occupied. The council has introduced an early bird fee of £1,060 for applications received before 21 September 2026. A separate Article 4 direction covering Kingsholm and Wotton, Westgate, Barton and Tredworth, Moreland, Kingsway and Elmbridge removes permitted development rights for converting a house into a small HMO in those wards.

What this means for a landlord

A licence must be in place before the property is let, not applied for afterwards. Operating unlicensed in a designated area is a criminal offence: a civil penalty of up to £30,000 per offence, a rent repayment order of up to twelve months' rent, and a section 21 notice that cannot be served while the property is unlicensed. Mandatory HMO licensing applies separately and everywhere, wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.

Gloucester's own licensing page →