HMO licence fees by council and Article 4 in England, 2026

The headline findings

• The same licence costs seven times more depending on the council. A mandatory HMO licence for an identical five-person shared house ranges from GBP 375 in Wiltshire to GBP 2,750 in Lambeth, a 7.3-fold gap for a licence created by the same national law. The median is GBP 1,036 and the mean GBP 1,126, across the 285 councils that publish a comparable fee.
• London landlords pay far more. The median mandatory HMO fee is GBP 1,616 in London against GBP 1,000 across the rest of England, about 60% higher. Ten of the twelve most expensive councils are in London or the South East.
• Two in five councils now restrict new HMOs through planning. 121 of 296 councils (41%) have an Article 4 direction in force that removes the permitted-development right to turn a family house (C3) into a small HMO (C4). In those areas a landlord needs planning permission before a property can become a small shared house. 92 directions cover the whole council or most of it; 29 cover only part of the area.
• Article 4 is heavily regional. It is in force in 70% of London councils and 69% of North West councils, but only 22% of councils in the East of England. Where a landlord buys now decides whether a conversion needs planning permission at all.
• Most of England runs no licensing beyond the national minimum. 204 of 296 councils (69%) operate neither additional nor selective licensing: only mandatory HMO licensing, which applies everywhere by law. Selective licensing (every private rental in a designated area) runs in 59 councils and additional HMO licensing in 55, both concentrated in London and the North.
• Some councils publish no clear fee at all. 11 councils publish no comparable mandatory HMO fee for a standard five-person house, so a landlord cannot see the price before applying. Northumberland, one of the 11, sets its fee per dwelling unit rather than as a single whole-house total, so it has no like-for-like figure and is left out of the ranking.

Mandatory HMO licence fees: cheapest and most expensive

The fee a council charges to licence the same five-person HMO. Mandatory HMO licensing is national law and in force in every council, but councils set their own fees, discounts, renewal charges and adjustments. Figures are the published fee for the example property and should be confirmed with the council, as some split the fee into an application stage and a grant stage.

Median GBP 1,036, mean GBP 1,126, across 285 councils publishing a comparable figure.

Where new HMOs need planning permission: Article 4 by region

An Article 4 direction removes the national permitted-development right to change a family house (use class C3) into a small HMO (use class C4). Where one is in force, a landlord must apply for planning permission before the property can become a small shared house. The share of councils covered varies sharply by region.

Of the 121 directions in force, 92 cover the whole council or most of it and 29 cover only part of the area (for example a single ward or town centre). Councils re-designate, so a landlord should always confirm the current position and boundary with the council.

Licensing beyond the national minimum

Mandatory HMO licensing is national law and applies in all 296 councils. On top of it a council may run two optional schemes: additional licensing (smaller HMOs, typically three or four sharers) and selective licensing (every private rental in a designated area, HMO or not). Most councils run neither.

HMO licence fees and Article 4 for all 296 councils

The table below is the full dated snapshot. A fee is the published standard total for the same five-person, five-household HMO. Select a linked fee or Article 4 finding to open the official source. Blank figures in the download mean no comparable figure was published, never zero.

Download all rows and provenance as CSV.