A property licence application pack costs £515 with us. It includes a measured visit, the licensing plans and the council licence form, put together for you to submit to the housing team.
Landlords usually meet licensing as a form full of questions about the house, the people who will run it and the safety equipment. The council also asks for plans. A pack that is complete first time saves weeks, because an application with missing items is returned rather than decided. This article explains what an application needs, who the licence is granted to, and how long it lasts.
What is in the pack
The £515 covers a measured visit to the property, the licensing plans that show each floor with the rooms sized, and the council's licence form completed from what we find and what you tell us. You review it, sign it where signatures are needed, and submit it with the council's fee.
If you already have the form and only need a measured plan, the licence floor plan on its own is the cheaper choice. The pack suits first-time applicants and landlords with several houses who want the same standard each time.
How the application works
The rules are in Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004. Section 63 says an application for a licence must be made to the local housing authority, in accordance with such requirements as the authority may specify. The authority may require a fee fixed by it. That is why forms and fees differ between councils.
The authority must be satisfied about the people as well as the house. Under section 64 it must consider that the proposed licence holder is a fit and proper person to hold the licence, and the most appropriate person out of those reasonably available. The form asks about your history and that of the manager.
Photo: Maxwell Hamilton, BY 2.0
How long it lasts and what it requires
A licence is granted for a set period. Under section 68, that period must not end more than 5 years after the licence was granted, or after it came into force if that is later. Many are granted for the full five years, but a council can grant less, and diary the renewal early.
The standard conditions are in Schedule 4 to the 2004 Act, with the room sizes set by the 2018 regulations. In practice they include the following.
- Room sizes meet the national minimums, such as 6.51 square metres for one adult.
- Smoke alarms and, where there is solid fuel, carbon monoxide alarms are fitted and tested.
- Gas and electrical safety certificates are held and given to the council on request.
- Occupants are given a written statement of the terms on which they occupy.
- The licence holder keeps the house and its furniture in safe condition.
Failure to hold a licence when one is required is an offence, so the licence should be in place before the house is occupied as an HMO.
From visit to submission
The figures in this article, and where they come from
An application for an HMO licence must be made to the local housing authority in accordance with the requirements it specifies (section 63).
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Housing Act 2004, section 63The authority may require the application to be accompanied by a fee fixed by it (section 63(3)).
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Housing Act 2004, section 63A licence period must not end more than 5 years after the licence was granted or came into force.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Housing Act 2004, section 68A house falls within mandatory licensing if occupied by 5 or more persons in 2 or more separate households.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Licensing of HMOs (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018, article 4Schedule 4 conditions include keeping smoke alarms in working order and supplying a gas safety certificate obtained within the last 12 months.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Housing Act 2004, Schedule 4A sleeping room for one person over 10 must be at least 6.51 square metres, and for two persons at least 10.22 square metres.
Source: legislation.gov.uk, Licensing of HMOs (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018, regulation 2
Questions people ask
Who has to apply for the licence?
The proposed licence holder, who must be a fit and proper person and the most appropriate person reasonably available. That is often the landlord or the managing agent. The form asks who will hold it and who will manage the house.
What does the council charge?
Each housing authority sets its own fee. We give you the council's figure when you order. It is paid with the application, in addition to our pack fee.
Do I still need planning permission?
Licensing and planning are separate. A small HMO may be permitted development, unless an Article 4 direction applies. Our HMO planning drawings start at £995 inc survey.
Can I rent rooms while the application is being decided?
That depends on your council's rules and on how far the application has got. An unlicensed HMO that needs a licence is an offence, so check your position with the housing team before taking tenants.
What if the house does not meet a requirement?
The council can refuse the licence or grant it with conditions to put things right. The plans show the problem early, such as a bedroom under the minimum size, so you can change the layout before you apply.
HMO and Property Licence Pack: from £515
What you get
- Measured visit
- Licensing plans
- Council licence form
- The council form completed for you to review and sign
The total you pay, fixed in writing before you commit. Council fees are separate and paid to the council. Prices checked 24 October 2026.
How our hmo and property licence pack service works