West Midlands · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Stafford
✓ Hand-verified 19 Aug 2026Beyond mandatory HMO licensing, Stafford does not currently operate a selective or additional licensing scheme. Here's the current position.
Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities.
One payment, and the licence lasts 5 years.
| Each bedroom | £32.55 |
Stafford, read 19 August 2026
Evidenced negative by enumeration (first-party research 19 Aug 2026): the council HMO licence page (last updated 30 April 2026) describes only the mandatory 5 or more persons in 2 or more households threshold and records a civil penalty of "up to £30,000 per offence" for operating an unlicensed HMO. No s.80 selective designation is named and no consultation or committee decision 2020-2026 was found on staffordbc.gov.uk. Stafford falls within the new South Staffordshire unitary with a vesting day of 1 April 2028. Distinct from Staffordshire County Council, South Staffordshire and Staffordshire Moorlands.
Evidenced negative by enumeration (first-party research 19 Aug 2026): the council HMO page names no s.56 additional designation. Fees and Charges 2026/2027 give a standard first application fee of £858.15 for properties with up to 8 bedrooms or bedsits, renewals and subsequent applications with no changes at £738.70, an accredited-landlord rate at a 10 per cent discount (£772.55 first, £664.75 renewal), £32.55 for each additional bedroom or bedsit above 8, and £67.00 where an incomplete application is returned. Licence period five years. this row previously held a flat £1,100, which is not a figure Stafford publishes.
Common questions
Does Stafford have a selective licensing scheme?
No. Stafford does not currently operate a selective licensing scheme. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Does Stafford have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
No. Stafford does not currently operate an additional HMO licensing scheme. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Do I need an HMO licence in Stafford?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Stafford, where a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households who share basic amenities. Smaller shared houses may also need a licence where an additional licensing scheme applies.
- Free landlord compliance check — five questions, no account
- Tenancy agreement checker — findings cited to the Act and section
All property licensing in West Midlands →
Source: Stafford licensing page →
Every landlord in Stafford also needs
A valid Gas Safety certificate (annual), an EICR (every 5 years), a valid EPC, a protected deposit, smoke & CO alarms, the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet, and a current How to Rent guide — plus the new Section 8 possession rules since Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026.
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