North West
HMO licensing in Bolton
Bolton Council requires a mandatory licence for HMOs occupied by 5 or more people from 2 or more households. No additional or selective licensing scheme is currently in force in Bolton (checked September 2026). The published licence fee starts at £893.67.
Mandatory licence
5+ people, 2+ households
National scheme
Additional / selective
None in force
Mandatory licensing only
Licence fee
From £893.67
Decision time
Not published
Licensing schemes in Bolton
Bolton Council's Cabinet approved a new borough-wide additional licensing scheme on 17 August 2026, covering HMOs with 3 or 4 occupants and certain converted buildings. The consultation ran 2 February to 19 April 2026; the scheme is not yet in force and is expected to be fully operational in early 2027, with a five-year licence fee of £1,211.
- Announced
- 2 February 2026
- Consultation closes
- 19 April 2026
Verified 24 September 2026
Licence fees
The published fee for a new HMO licence is £893.67. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.
Mandatory HMO licence fee covers a licence of up to five years and is £893.67 for a property with up to 9 lettable rooms, plus £25.66 for each additional room above 9. Bolton Council does not publish an instalment option or a separately discounted renewal fee on its licensing pages. Note: on 17 August 2026 Bolton's Cabinet approved a new borough-wide Additional Licensing scheme (covering smaller 3-4 person HMOs) with a five-year fee of £1,211 (£760 application + £451 on grant), but this scheme is not yet in force and is expected to become fully operational in early 2027 — it does not apply as of the current date.
Check the current fee on the council website (bolton.gov.uk) before you apply.
Minimum room sizes
| Double/two-person bedroom | 10.22 m² minimum floor area, per the national HMO space standards Bolton's guidance applies. |
|---|---|
| Single bedroom | 6.51 m² minimum floor area, per the national HMO space standards. |
| Child bedroom (under 10 years) | 4.64 m² minimum floor area; rooms below this cannot be used as sleeping accommodation. |
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.
Fire safety requirements
- Bolton Council requires HMOs to meet its published 'HMO Guidance and Amenity Standards', covering fire detection, means of escape, and fire door provision appropriate to the property's size and layout.
- Landlords must hold a current gas safety certificate and electrical safety (EICR) documentation as a condition of licensing.
- General national HMO fire safety expectations apply: interlinked smoke/heat detection, a protected escape route, and fire doors to habitable rooms opening onto shared circulation space.
Kitchen, bathroom and amenity standards
- Adequate kitchen facilities (cooking, food storage, washing-up) must be provided in proportion to the number of occupants sharing them.
- Sufficient bathroom and WC provision must be available in proportion to the number of sharing occupiers, in line with national HMO amenity ratios.
- Full detail on Bolton's specific amenity ratios is set out in the council's 'HMO Guidance and Amenity Standards' document, which was not fully accessible during this research (server error) — verify current room/amenity specifics directly with Bolton Council's Housing Standards team before relying on them.
Documents you will need
- Gas safety certificate (CP12) — Current certificate for all gas appliances, renewed annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report for the property, dated within the last five years.
- EPC — Valid Energy Performance Certificate for the property.
Sources
Compiled from the council’s own published pages and documents; data reviewed September 2026. Rules and fees change, so always confirm with Bolton Council before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.