Additional HMO licensing in Thurrock
Yes. Thurrock 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 Thurrock?
Yes. Thurrock 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 Thurrock does the scheme cover?
Borough-wide, all 20 wards. Cabinet agreed May 2025. Confirm a specific address against the council's own designation map before applying.
When does Thurrock's scheme end?
The designation runs until 6 September 2030, unless the council revokes it earlier under section 84 of the Housing Act 2004.
What does the licence cost?
£1,670 2 to 5 rooms. Councils commonly discount for accredited landlords and early applications; confirm the current figure with Thurrock before budgeting.
The band is set by the number of bedrooms.
| Part A | £694 |
| Part B | £976 |
| Total, 2 to 5 rooms | £1,670 |
| 6 to 10 | £1,740 |
| 11 to 15 | £1,925 |
| 16 to 20 | £1,975 |
| 21 to 29 | £2,400 |
| 30 or more | £2,775 |
- Renewal and lapsed-licence rates also published, lapsed 2 to 5 rooms £1,670
Thurrock — thurrock.gov.uk, read 19 Aug 2026
What the designation says
An additional HMO licensing scheme is in force across the whole of Thurrock. The designation was made on 7 May 2025 under section 56 of the Housing Act 2004, came into force on 7 September 2025 and ceases to have effect on 6 August 2030 unless the council revokes it earlier. It applies to every house in multiple occupation as defined by section 254 of the Act that is occupied by three or more people forming two or more households, anywhere in the borough. A property is outside the scheme only where it is already licensable under mandatory licensing, is subject to an interim or final management order, holds a temporary exemption, or is a building listed in Schedule 14 of the Act. In practice that means a shared home of three or four occupants now needs a licence where previously only five or more did. The scheme was extended borough-wide after an earlier trial covering eleven wards. The designation is cited as the Thurrock Council Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2025.
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 Thurrock before letting.