HMO licensing in Adur

Adur District Council operates the national mandatory scheme. We found no additional or selective licensing scheme in force or proposed as of September 2026. Councils can introduce one after a public consultation, so it is worth setting an alert.

The published fee for a new HMO licence is £1,295, and £1,295 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

HMO licence fee is charged in two parts. Application fee (non-refundable, paid on submission): £810 for a property with 5 bedrooms or fewer, plus £55 per additional bedroom/unit above 5. Grant fee (paid within 1 month of the licence being approved): £485, fixed regardless of size. Combined total for a 5-bed-or-fewer property is £1,295 (£810 + £485). Figures shown are effective 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 and are subject to annual increase each April. The council's page states a re-licence (renewal) follows the same fee structure as a new application. No landlord-accreditation discount is published on the council's HMO page.

Check the current fee on the council website (adur-worthing.gov.uk) before you apply.

National minimums for licensed HMOs are 6.51 m² for one adult and 10.22 m² for two adults; councils can apply higher local standards.

• A 30-minute protected escape route is required from all habitable rooms (extended to 60 minutes where accommodation sits above a high-risk commercial use); risk rooms opening onto it need FD30 or FD30S fire door sets.
• Automatic fire and smoke detection is always required; grade/category depends on property layout, and a Certificate of Design, Installation and Commissioning (new systems) or the latest inspection/servicing certificate (existing systems) must be produced.
• Emergency lighting is required in buildings over two storeys with complex escape routes or no effective borrowed light.
• A fire blanket to BS EN1869 must be provided in any room with cooking facilities; boilers sited in bathrooms need specific smoke/heat detection and fire-rated enclosure depending on cupboard type.
• A Type 3 Fire Risk Assessment (Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005) is required for every HMO, enforced by West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.
• Furniture and furnishings must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988.

• One communal washing or WC facility may be shared by a maximum of 5 occupants; a separate WC (in addition to any en-suite bathroom WC) is required once 5 or more people share.
• Communal bathroom: wash hand basin (ideally 560mm x 430mm) plus a bath (min. 1700mm x 760mm) or shower cubicle (min. 800mm x 800mm); mechanical extraction at 15 litres/second in any room with a shower.
• Shared kitchens: one sink/draining board, one oven + 4-ring hob, and one fridge-freezer per 5 occupants (a microwave can extend cooking provision to 6); worktop and storage-unit allowance is per-occupant (500mm x 600mm worktop and 500mm x 600mm base unit, or equivalent, per person).
• Kitchen power: minimum 6 power points (or 3 doubles) above food-preparation surfaces per 5 occupants, plus a dedicated 30amp supply per electric cooker, with an extra socket for each additional occupant above 5.
• Non-shared kitchens/kitchenettes (e.g. bedsits) require a sink/draining board and at least a 2-ring hob plus oven (or table-top oven/hob), with the same per-occupant worktop and storage allowance.

• Gas safety certificate (CP12) — Annual Gas Safe engineer's certificate for every appliance/flue; a copy is required with the licence application where the property has gas supply, per the council's Compliance Guide.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — Whole-installation periodic inspection report required at intervals of no more than 5 years (or an Electrical Installation Certificate for newly created HMOs), per BS 7671.
• Fire/smoke alarm certificate — Certificate of Design, Installation and Commissioning for new automatic fire detection systems, or the most recent inspection/servicing certificate for existing systems.
• Fire Risk Assessment — Type 3 FRA under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which the council may request at application or on demand.

• adur-worthing.gov.uk
• adur-worthing.gov.uk

Compiled from the council’s own published pages and documents; data reviewed September 2026. Rules and fees change, so always confirm with Adur District Council before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.