Additional HMO licensing in Rochdale
Yes. Rochdale operates an additional HMO licensing scheme. Letting a covered property without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £40,000 and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent.
Common questions
Do I need an additional HMO licence in Rochdale?
Yes. Rochdale operates an additional HMO licensing scheme. Letting a covered property without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £40,000 and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent.
Which areas of Rochdale does the scheme cover?
Borough-wide. Applies to 3 or more unrelated occupants forming 2 or more households, any number of storeys, plus s.257 converted buildings. Consultation ran 15 April to 15 July 2024. Confirm a specific address against the council's own designation map before applying.
When does Rochdale's scheme end?
The designation runs until 28 April 2030, unless the council revokes it earlier under section 84 of the Housing Act 2004.
Rochdale publishes this much: £1,011 for a five-year licence plus a £53 inspection fee per habitable room. Worked example from the council: £1,011 plus ten rooms at £53 gives £1,541. The same fee applies to mandatory and additional HMO licences. Established from rochdale.gov.uk 19 Aug 2026.
The council’s own licensing page carries the charge that applies today — confirm it there before you budget.
Not established is not the same as free.
What the designation says
Rochdale Borough Council operates a borough-wide additional HMO licensing scheme. The scheme (officially "The Rochdale Borough Council additional Licensing of HMOs Scheme") was designated on 28 January 2025, came into force on 28 April 2025, and runs for 5 years until 28 April 2030. It applies to any HMO occupied by 3 or 4 persons forming 2 or more households across the whole borough. Standard application fee £1,011 plus inspection fee of £53 per habitable room (example: 10 habitable room HMO costs £1,541 total for 5 years = approx £308/year). Rochdale has circa 90,000 homes and population of 223,000. Since 2016 the council has seen a 46% rise in private tenant complaints with rising HMO concerns (disrepair, overcrowding, waste, ASB). The council considers almost all inspected HMOs since 2016 to have contained category 1 hazards, with widespread fire safety failures. Administered by the Housing Standards Team at Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale.
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 £40,000 per offence and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent. Both maxima apply to conduct on or after 1 May 2026; before that date they were £30,000 and twelve months. Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026 and possession now runs through the amended section 8 grounds. Mandatory HMO licensing applies separately and everywhere, wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Information tool, not legal advice. Confirm the position with Rochdale before letting.