HMO licensing in Braintree

Braintree 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 £1,040. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Fees published on the council's 'Licensing Houses in Multiple Occupation' page for 2026/27: New application - Licensing Fee (application fee only) £595.00; Issue of Licence - Maintenance and monitoring of licence fee (one-off, covers up to 5-year life) £445.00; Renewal of Licence - Licensing Fee £550.00. A new licence therefore totals £1,040 (£595 at application + £445 on issue). The fee is flat (not scaled by bedrooms or occupants on the council's page). For renewals the page lists only the £550 Licensing Fee; it does not state whether the £445 issue/maintenance fee is also charged on renewal, so renewalGbp is left null rather than guessed (confirm with licensing@braintree.gov.uk or 01376 552525). No accredited-landlord discount is published on the council's HMO page.

Check the current fee on the council website (braintree.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 fire safety risk assessment is required for every HMO under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and Braintree requires the completed risk assessment before a licence can be issued (the council supplies a template: 'Fire Risk Assessment - Houses in Multiple Occupation').
• The council's template assessment checks: fire alarm system wired to the mains, in working order and tested weekly with records kept; call points unobstructed; fire doors labelled with self-closing devices working; escape routes free of obstruction and lit; emergency escape lighting where needed and in working order; and portable extinguishers/fire blankets provided and serviced.
• Kitchens need one suitably located fire blanket to the current BS EN standard (Essex Amenity Standards Table 2).
• Gas appliances must be inspected annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer; portable paraffin/oil heaters and bottled-gas (LPG) heaters are prohibited (Essex standards Table 4).
• The council's HMO page states a gas safety certificate every year and an electrical safety certificate every five years are landlord duties (the latter required in licensed HMOs).
• The council's pages point to national fire safety guidance (the 2008 LACORS-type guidance on fire safety in certain types of housing) and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service for detailed sleeping-accommodation requirements; the council does not publish a bespoke fire-detection specification on its pages, so the exact detection grade/category should be confirmed with the council for each property.

• Bathrooms/toilets (Essex Standards Table 3): fewer than 5 occupants = 1 bathroom (bath or shower) + 1 toilet with wash-hand basin, which can be in the same room; 5 occupants = 1 bathroom plus a separate toilet and WHB; 6-8 occupants = 2 bathrooms and 2 toilets (toilets may be within the bathrooms); 9-10 occupants = 2 bathrooms and 2 toilets with one toilet in a separate room with a wash-hand basin.
• Minimum bathroom floor areas for safe use: bath only 2.3 m2; bath and WHB 2.5 m2; bath, WC and WHB 2.8 m2; shower only 1.7 m2; shower and WHB 2.0 m2; shower, WC and WHB 2.2 m2; WC and WHB 1.2 m2. Mechanical ventilation required where there is no openable window.
• Bathrooms must be no more than one floor away from the bedroom and toilets within one floor of living and bedrooms; all basins, baths and showers need hot and cold running water.
• Shared kitchens (Table 2): worktop length 2.4 m for up to 5 occupants, 2.8 m for 7 occupants, 4 m for 8-10 occupants; at least 3 double sockets above worktops; two sinks/drainers for 6 or more occupants (a dishwasher may replace one for 6-7 occupants); one food storage cupboard (500 mm base unit or 1000 mm wall unit) per occupant, plus a fridge shelf and freezer shelf per occupant.
• Bedsit/studio kitchens (1-2 occupants): 4.5 m2 kitchen area, 1 m of worktop, 2 double sockets, 2 hob rings plus oven and grill (or safely located combination microwave/oven/grill), sink/drainer with hot and cold water, food storage and fire blanket.
• Heating capable of maintaining 21 C in living, dining and sleeping rooms, 22 C in bathrooms and 18 C elsewhere when it is -1 C outside; thermostatic radiator valves and a programmable timer for gas central heating.
• Natural light: window glazing equal to at least 1/10 of habitable room floor area; ventilation: openable area at least 1/20 of floor area; minimum ceiling height 2130 mm (over half of the floor area for sloping ceilings). Minimum sockets: 2 double per bedroom in shared houses, 3 double per bedsit with separate kitchen, 5 double per bedsit/studio with own kitchen; 3 double sockets in shared living rooms.
• Security: individual lettings (other than a cohesive group of sharers) need doors with a thumb-turn lock operated from inside; external doors must open from the inside without a key; key-operated locks on accessible windows (with an alternative for escape windows).

• Plans — Floor plans of the property; the GOV.UK online application form for Braintree lists "Plans" as a required upload (the form does not specify scale or contents).
• Proposed licence holder identification — Identification for the proposed licence holder, uploaded with the online application; photos or scans are acceptable if clear. Applicants who cannot supply electronic copies must apply by post.
• Payment card — Debit or credit card for the application fee (£595 new; £550 renewal licensing fee).
• Completed fire risk assessment — The council states the completed risk assessment is required before a licence can be issued; its Fire Risk Assessment template for HMOs (or similar) may be used.
• Gas safety certificate (licence-holder duty) — Annual Gas Safe certificate for gas appliances; the council page lists this as a landlord duty. Not listed as an upload on the GOV.UK application form.
• Electrical installation condition report (EICR) — Electrical safety certificate every five years; stated on the council page as required in licensed HMOs. Not listed as an upload on the GOV.UK application form.

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• gov.uk
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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 Braintree District Council before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.