What is in the pack
A licence application needs plans of the house, room by room, with floor areas, the number of people each room sleeps, the kitchens and bathrooms, and the fire precautions. We prepare them from a measured survey, with the supporting forms completed for you to check and sign.
Our fee is £475. The council’s licence fee is separate and set by each council, so we ask your council for it and tell you before you commit.
Who needs a licence
The prescribed description for mandatory licensing is a house occupied by five or more people living in two or more separate households. What counts as an HMO is set out in section 254 of the Housing Act 2004, with its standard test, self-contained flat test and converted building test.
Councils may also run additional or selective schemes for other houses. Which applies to your street is a question for your council, and we check it first.
The room-size conditions
Licence conditions in England require that sleeping rooms are at least 6.51 square metres for one person over 10, 10.22 square metres for two, and 4.64 square metres for one child under 10. A room under 4.64 square metres may not be used for sleeping at all.
Those are measured figures, which is why a measured survey is the base of the pack. An estimated plan can overstate a room by the few tenths that decide the licence.
By the numbers
5 people
Occupancy at which an HMO in England needs a mandatory licence, if in two or more households.
6.51 m²
Minimum floor area of a bedroom for one person over 10.
10.22 m²
Minimum floor area of a bedroom for two people over 10.
4.64 m²
Minimum floor area for a bedroom for one child under 10; smaller rooms may not be slept in.
s254
The section of the Housing Act 2004 that defines a house in multiple occupation.
Source: Housing Act 2004, section 254: meaning of house in multiple occupation (legislation.gov.uk)
HMO licence pack costs: common questions
Does your fee include the council’s licence fee?
No. The council sets and collects its own fee, which differs by borough.
Can a council refuse a licence?
It can if the conditions are not met, such as room sizes. We draw the rooms to the measured sizes so you know before applying.
Do I need planning permission as well?
Possibly. Licensing and planning are separate. Our HMO conversion guide explains the planning side, including borough directions.
Sources
- Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Prescribed Descriptions) (England) Order 2018 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Housing Act 2004, section 254: meaning of house in multiple occupation (legislation.gov.uk)
About the author. Ben Shaukat is Managing Director of Property Architecture Ltd, which trades as Planning Drawings.
Published by Planning Drawings. Checked against the sources above on . Planning rules change; check your council before you build.