HMO licensing in Bath and North East Somerset

Bath and North East Somerset 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 £1,025, and £925 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

New HMO licence: total £1,025, split into Part 1 (£620, paid on application) and Part 2 (£405, paid after approval), or payable in full upfront. Renewal: total £925, split into Part 1 (£620, paid on application) and Part 2 (£305, paid after approval). A £50 discount applies where the application is submitted fully completed online, with all correct supporting documents, and the licence holder agrees to receive documents by email. No accredited-landlord discount is advertised on the council's licensing pages; only the £50 online-application/e-communication discount was found.

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

• All HMOs require a mains-wired, interlinked fire detection system meeting BS 5839: Part 6 to the grade determined by LACoRS guidance (e.g. Category LD3 Grade D for shared houses, LD2 Grade A/D for bedsit accommodation, with Grade A required for 3+ storey bedsit properties and 5-6 storey shared properties); Grade D detectors need integral battery back-up and a 75dBA sound level at bedheads.
• Fire doors (30-minute fire resistance with flexible smoke and heat seals, self-closing) are required to shared kitchens/bedsits with kitchens and, in 4+ storey HMOs, to bedrooms and living/dining rooms; solid, close-fitting doors (min. 20 minutes resistance) are required elsewhere on escape routes, with limited exceptions for lower-risk 1-2 storey layouts.
• A fire blanket conforming to BS EN 1869 must be provided in each room containing a kitchen; a carbon monoxide alarm is required in any room with a solid fuel or gas combustion appliance.
• Emergency lighting to BS5266 is required only where the building has 5+ storeys, a long/complex escape route, or other risk factors.
• A fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 must be reviewed annually, at property alterations, and at tenancy changes, and produced to the council on request; where a Grade A alarm system is fitted, a satisfactory test certificate is required every 6 months.

• Where 4 or fewer occupiers share, at least one fixed bath/shower and one toilet (which may be in the bathroom) is required; where 5 or more share, at least one bath/shower per 5 occupants (or part) and, where reasonably practicable, one toilet separate from the bathroom per 5 occupants (a further complete bathroom is acceptable instead of a separate toilet).
• Shared kitchens require a sink with constant hot and cold water and draining board (dishwasher acceptable as a second sink for 6 occupants with a 1.5-bowl sink), a 4-ring hob/oven/grill cooker per 5 occupants (a 27-litre combination microwave acceptable as a second cooker for 6-9 occupants), a 500mm x 1000mm fixed worktop for up to 5 occupants, and mechanical extraction of 60 litres/second (or 30 litres/second if sited within 300mm of the hob centre).
• Bathrooms require mechanical ventilation of at least 15 litres/second in addition to any window; a separate toilet compartment needs a window of at least 1/20th of the floor area or 6 litres/second mechanical extraction.
• Minimum kitchen floor areas scale with occupancy under the council's own facilities table, e.g. 5 m² for 1-3 sharing occupiers, rising to 11 m² for 10 occupiers; combined kitchen/living/dining ('total communal living space') minimums range from 13.5 m² (1-3 occupiers) up to 27.5 m² (10 occupiers).
• A fixed heating appliance must be able to maintain 21°C (at an outside temperature of -1°C) in each unit of living accommodation, under the occupier's control and available at all times.
• The licensed property must achieve a minimum EPC rating of 'E' (or hold a valid exemption), a condition specific to the council's licence terms rather than the national mandatory conditions.

• Gas safety certificate (CP12) — Current certificate, renewed annually, for every gas appliance in the property; produced to the council on request as a mandatory licence condition.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — Domestic EICR dated within the last 5 years, showing no unresolved Code 1 or Code 2 defects; a council-imposed licence condition (Schedule 2).
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — The property must have a minimum EPC rating of 'E' (or a registered exemption) as a licence condition.
• Floor plans — Floor plans of the property are required as part of the online licence application.
• DBS (basic disclosure) certificates — Required for all proposed licence holders/managers, within the last 3 years, to support the 'fit and proper person' assessment.
• Fit and proper person declaration — Declaration required for each named licence holder and manager.
• Ownership and mortgage/charge information — Details of all property owners and any mortgages or charges on the property must be provided with the application.
• Fire risk assessment — Current fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, reviewed annually and at changes to the property or tenancy.

• bathnes.gov.uk
• bathnes.gov.uk
• bathnes.gov.uk
• bathnes.gov.uk
• bathnes.gov.uk
• bathnes.gov.uk
• bathnes.gov.uk

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