HMO licensing in Barnsley

Barnsley 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 £800. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Mandatory HMO licence fee is £800 covering a property with up to five bedrooms, plus an extra £50 for each additional bedroom over five. The fee is split into two payments: a first payment of £368 due when the application is submitted, and a second payment (the balance) invoiced by email once the application is approved. If the second payment is not received within 14 days of the request, the application is closed and the first payment is not refunded. The licence covers a term of usually five years, though the Council may grant a shorter period depending on circumstances. No current published discount for accredited landlords was found on the live fee page (an older 2016/17 committee report referenced a since-superseded £405 accredited-landlord rate under a £505 base fee, which is no longer the current charge).

Check the current fee on the council website (barnsley.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.

• Mains-powered, interlinked smoke detection complying with BS 5839 Part 6 required on the escape route at every storey (extent scales with the number of storeys and house type).
• Every kitchen must have a hardwired heat detector, interlinked to the main alarm system with battery back-up.
• 30-minute fire-resisting construction (walls, floors, ceilings) is expected on the escape route; 3-4 storey shared houses/bedsits require 30-minute fire doors with intumescent strips and self-closers to all risk rooms (bedrooms, living rooms, cellars), plus cold smoke seals on doors to rooms with smoke detectors.
• Fire blankets must be provided in every kitchen and any bedsit with in-room cooking facilities, sited away from the cooker but near the kitchen exit door.
• External doors require an internal thumb-turn lock; escape routes must be kept clear of portable heaters, cooking equipment, furniture and storage.
• Where a cellar/basement is used for storage or habitation, 30-minute fire separation is required between it and the escape route; an interlinked smoke detector is required near any meters or power outlets in the cellar.
• Hollow-core/egg-box internal doors are not acceptable as fire doors; polystyrene ceiling/wall tiles are not permitted anywhere.
• Escape windows (where relied on) need a minimum unobstructed opening of 0.33 m², minimum 450mm height/width, sill no more than 1100mm above floor level, openable without a key.

• Washing facilities: at least 1 bathroom + 1 WC for 1-4 persons, rising to 2 bathrooms + 2 separate WCs for 6-10 persons and 3 bathrooms + 3 separate WCs for 11-15 persons.
• Shared kitchens: minimum 1 sink per 5 persons, 1 cooker (4 rings, oven and grill) per 5 persons, worktop of at least 500mm depth plus 0.5m length per person, a minimum of 4 electrical sockets (1 double socket per 2 persons), food cupboard space of one 500mm unit per person, and fridge space of at least 1 cubic foot per person plus freezer compartment.
• Fixed heating must be able to maintain 21°C in habitable rooms/bathrooms and 18°C in hallways/landings when it is -1°C outside; portable paraffin, oil-fired or LPG/bottled-gas heaters are never acceptable.
• Habitable rooms need natural lighting equivalent to at least 1/10th of the floor area and ventilation (openable window) equivalent to at least 1/20th of the floor area, or suitable mechanical ventilation.
• Minimum floor-to-ceiling height of 2.14m in habitable rooms, kitchens and bathrooms (existing attic rooms: 2.14m over at least three-quarters of the room area).
• No sharing of bedrooms between opposite-sex occupants over age 12 who are not partners; kitchens, bathrooms, staircases and landings cannot be counted as sleeping accommodation.
• Gas safety certificates must be renewed annually by a Gas Safe engineer; Electrical Installation Condition Reports must be no more than 5 years old (or as recommended by the inspecting engineer).

• Gas safety certificate (CP12) — Current annual Gas Safe certificate covering the full gas installation, supply pipes, flues and appliances.
• EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report covering the whole installation, obtained within the last 5 years or as recommended by the inspecting engineer.
• PAT certificate — Portable Appliance Test certificate for electrical appliances supplied by the landlord.
• EPC — Valid Energy Performance Certificate for the property.
• Fire alarm test certificate — Evidence the interlinked fire/smoke alarm system has been tested.
• Fire safety risk assessment — A written fire risk assessment for the property.
• Floor plan with measurements — Scale floor plan showing room dimensions and layout.
• Photographic ID — For both the licence holder and the property manager.
• DBS certificates — For both the licence holder and the property manager.
• Emergency escape lighting test certificate — Where emergency lighting is installed on the escape route.

• barnsley.gov.uk
• barnsley.gov.uk
• barnsley.gov.uk

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