HMO licensing in Arun

The published fee for a new HMO licence is £2,387. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Mandatory HMO licence (5+ occupants, 2+ households): Part 1 application fee £1,942 (covers first 5 occupants) plus £50 per additional occupant above 5, payable on submission and non-refundable; Part 2 issue fee of £445 payable before the full licence is granted. Fully self-contained lets within the HMO with exclusive amenities are fee-exempt. Additional HMO licensing (3-4 person houses/flats, in the designated wards only): Part 1 £1,902 + Part 2 £445 = £2,347 total. Section 257 buildings up to 6 flats: £2,023 + £445 = £2,468. Section 257 buildings with 7+ flats: £2,144 + £445 = £2,589. Section 254 converted buildings: £1,942 + £445. Fees are reviewed and set annually each April (current figures are from the council's 'Fees and charges 2026-27' schedule). The council explicitly states 'No reductions or discounts are available on the fees payable to the council' — there is no accredited-landlord discount.

Fee source: arun.gov.uk (checked 5 October 2026). Fees change during the year, so check the council before you apply.

Fees for council-designated schemes are set separately from the mandatory HMO fee. Figures are the standard full-rate fee for a new licence, before any discounts.

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.

• All HMOs must have an automatic fire detection and alarm system; Grade A (control panel, detectors, sounders, call points — larger properties) or Grade D1 (interlinked mains-powered smoke/heat alarms — smaller properties) to BS 5839 Parts 1 and 6, with an on-site maintenance logbook.
• Escape-route doors (including bedroom doors) should normally be 30-minute self-closing fire doors to BS EN 1154:1997 with intumescent strips and cold/brush smoke seals, hung on 3 steel hinges with thumb-turn locks; in some smaller shared houses a solid timber door of at least 44mm thickness may be accepted instead.
• Escape-route partitions and floor/ceiling separation between units should normally provide 30-minute fire resistance, rising to 60 minutes for basements/cellars and mixed commercial-residential buildings.
• Emergency escape lighting (to BS 5266) is required in all converted buildings of 3+ storeys, and may be required in shorter buildings with complex escape routes or no effective borrowed light.
• A suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment, completed by a competent person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and reviewed annually, is required and must extend into each unit of accommodation plus communal areas.
• Basements/cellars require 30-minute fire separation from the ground floor, a 30-minute fire door at the top and bottom of basement stairs, and ideally a separate exit.

• 1 to 4 occupants: minimum 1 bathroom and 1 WC (may be combined).
• 5 occupants: 1 wash hand basin per sleeping room (where practical) plus 1 bathroom, AND 1 separate WC with wash hand basin.
• 6 to 10 occupants: 1 wash hand basin per sleeping room plus 2 bathrooms, AND 2 separate WCs with wash hand basins (1 WC may be within a bathroom).
• 11 to 15 occupants: 1 wash hand basin per sleeping room plus 3 bathrooms, AND 3 separate WCs with wash hand basins (2 WCs may be within bathrooms).
• Each bathroom/shower room needs a wash hand basin (min. 560mm x 430mm) plus a bath (min. 1700mm x 760mm) or shower cubicle (min. 800mm x 800mm); mechanical extraction of at least 15 litres/second is required in addition to any window.
• Shared kitchen: 1 sink/drainer for up to 5 occupiers, then 1 additional sink per 4 further occupiers (a dishwasher can substitute up to 9 people, max 1); 1 cooker (4-ring hob + oven/grill) for up to 5 occupiers, then 1 per 4 further occupiers; 6 plug sockets (3 doubles) above the food-prep surface for up to 5 occupiers, plus 1 extra double socket per 2 further occupants above 5.
• Bedsit (self-contained) kitchen facilities: minimum 2 hob rings (4 if for more than 1 person) with oven and grill, a fixed sink with drainer, worktop at least 600mm x 1000mm, 4 sockets (2 doubles), 1 storage cupboard, and a fridge of at least 150 litres capacity.

• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — Must be less than 5 years old and free of Code 1, Code 2 or FI (further investigation) items.
• Gas safety certificate — Valid Gas Safety Certificate less than 12 months old, where gas is supplied to the property.
• Oil boiler certificate — Required where the property has an oil-fired boiler.
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — Current EPC for the property.
• Fire alarm installation/maintenance certificate — Evidence the automatic fire detection system has been installed and is maintained/tested per BS 5839.
• Fire Risk Assessment — Completed by a competent person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
• Emergency lighting certificate — Required where emergency escape lighting is installed.
• PAT certificate — Portable Appliance Testing certificate for any electrical appliances the landlord supplies.
• Current tenancy agreements — Copies of existing tenancy agreements for the property.
• Property layout plan — A plan showing the layout, room sizes and fire safety item locations; must be resubmitted if the property changes from the plan on file.

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