Need an HMO licence?
We handle the whole application for £399

Council forms, floor plans, certificates, correspondence — done for you until the licence is granted. Fixed fee, any English council. Run by an ICAEW chartered accountant.

£40,000
maximum civil penalty for an unlicensed HMO
2 years'
rent your tenants can claim back via a rent repayment order
£399
our fixed fee — others charge £540–£1,100+ for the same service

Get your licence sorted

Tell us about your property. We'll check your council's exact requirements and call you back with the full cost — our £399 fee plus your council's charge. No payment until you instruct us.

Free callback · No payment now · No obligation

The rules changed on 1 May 2026 — and the penalties got serious

If your rental houses 5 or more people who form 2 or more households and share facilities like a kitchen or bathroom, you legally need a licence from your council (England). Many councils also require licences for smaller shared houses — and in some areas, for any rented property.

Since the Renters' Rights Act took effect, an unlicensed HMO means tenants can claim back up to 2 years of rent, and councils can choose between a civil penalty of up to £40,000 or criminal prosecution with an unlimited fine. A national landlord database is on the way that will cross-check every rental against licensing records automatically — and every unlicensed month adds to your rent-repayment exposure.

The application itself? Every council does it differently: different forms, different fees (£500–£2,000), different standards for room sizes and fire safety. You'll need floor plans, gas and electrical certificates, fire precautions and a fit-and-proper-person declaration. Get it wrong and it bounces back weeks later.

How it works

1
Tell us about your property — the 2-minute form above. We check which scheme applies at your council and what it charges, and call you back within one working day (usually same day) with the all-in cost. Free, no obligation.
2
Instruct us — pay our £399 fixed fee. We send you a simple checklist of the certificates we need (gas safety, electrical, fire alarm). Missing a floor plan? We arrange one for £149.
3
We prepare and submit — your council's full application, completed and checked, with all supporting documents in the format your council wants. You review and sign the declarations; we submit, and you pay the council's fee directly to the council — we never hold your money.
4
We see it through — any council questions, requests or inspections arrangements come to us first. We keep you updated until the licence is in your hand — then remind you before it expires (licences run up to 5 years).

Simple pricing

Complete application service — founding rate
£399
+ your council's licence fee, paid by you directly to the council · floor plan £149 if needed · fire risk assessment from £299 via our assessor partner · portfolio rates for 5+ properties
Our guarantee: if we don't submit a complete application for you, you pay nothing — full refund. (The licensing decision itself is the council's; what we control is giving them nothing to bounce.)
Start with a free requirements check
Already got a letter from the council? Don't ignore it — enforcement usually starts cheaper than it ends. Send us the details and we'll tell you where you stand, free.

Common questions

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Do I definitely need a licence? If 5+ people from 2+ households share facilities, yes — anywhere in England. With 3–4 sharers it depends on your council's local schemes. That's exactly what our free requirements check tells you, with no obligation.
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Do you guarantee I'll get the licence? No one honestly can — the decision is the council's. What we guarantee is a complete, correct application: if we don't submit one, you pay nothing. Refusals on properly prepared applications are rare; most problems are fixable conditions, and we handle that correspondence.
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What if the council asks questions or inspects? Their questions come to us first; we deal with them and keep you informed. Inspections are arranged around your tenants.
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Who signs the application? You do — the fit-and-proper-person declarations are yours to make. We prepare everything so what you sign is right.

Who's behind this

Get HMO Licence is run by Patrick Roper, an ICAEW chartered accountant. The same discipline that goes into a set of accounts goes into your application: every document checked, every council requirement met, nothing submitted half-done.

We're honest about what we are: a document preparation and application-handling service. We're not a law firm and we don't provide legal advice. Licensing decisions are made by your council — what we control is giving them no reason to delay or refuse on paperwork.

Find out exactly what your council requires

Free requirements check and a same-day callback with the full cost. £399 founding rate locked in when you instruct us.

Free callback · No payment now · No obligation

Free requirements check