Additional HMO licensing in Gwynedd

What the designation says

An additional HMO licensing scheme is in force across the whole of Gwynedd. The council has decided to apply the additional licence to all of Gwynedd in order to maintain standards, so it reaches houses in multiple occupation that fall outside the mandatory scheme — those of fewer than three storeys, or occupied by fewer than five people. In practice that means a small shared house in Gwynedd needs a licence even though it would not meet the mandatory threshold. The fee is £160 for each unit of accommodation, plus a £50 charge to process the application. Landlords in Wales must also register and be licensed through Rent Smart Wales, which is a separate requirement and does not replace this licence.

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.

Gwynedd's own licensing page →