Media notes

Headline figures

- 296 English councils analysed.
- 285 publish a comparable mandatory HMO licence fee for the example property.
- Fees range from £375 in Wiltshire to £2,750 in Lambeth, a 7.3-fold difference.
- The national median is £1,036.
- 121 of 296 councils (41%) have an HMO Article 4 direction in force across all or part of their area.
- 204 councils run neither additional nor selective licensing beyond national mandatory HMO licensing.

Suggested citation

LetLens, HMO licence fees and Article 4 restrictions across England, 2026, data as of
2026-10-20, https://letlens.com/research/hmo-fees-and-article-4-2026

Media contact

Michael Soselia, info@letlens.com
