HMO licensing in Brentwood

Brentwood Borough 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 £890, and £603 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Brentwood's HMO licensing page states a flat fee: New Licence £890; Renewal of Licence £603. The council's page does not break the fee into separate application/grant instalments and does not mention any accredited-landlord discount. A licence is issued for up to 5 years.

Check the current fee on the council website (brentwood.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 written Fire Risk Assessment following the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and national LACORS 'Housing – Fire Safety' guidance (2008) is required for every HMO.
• Shared kitchens in licensed HMOs must (as a mandatory licence condition) have a half-hour fire-resisting door to any hallway forming part of the escape route, plus a fire blanket, per the Essex Approved Code of Practice.
• A protected escape route (generally 30-minute fire-resisting construction, FD30S self-closing fire doors to risk rooms) is required, per the Essex-wide 'Adequate Means of Escape from Fire' Code of Practice — this legacy Essex/Essex Fire & Rescue Service guidance (originally 1992, last amended 2004) is still the current document linked from Brentwood's HMO page.
• 3 and 4 storey HMOs require a BS 5839-Part 1 'L2' category automatic fire detection and alarm system with smoke detection in escape routes and heat/smoke detectors in higher-risk rooms (kitchens, bedsits with cooking facilities); 1 and 2 storey HMOs generally only need self-contained smoke alarms (though this is less onerous than for taller buildings).
• Emergency lighting (to BS 5266) is generally only required in 3+ storey buildings or where the escape route is complex / lacks borrowed light.
• Where a landlord installs a residential sprinkler system meeting Essex Fire & Rescue Service's DD251 standard, the enforcing authority may grant 'design freedom' trade-offs against some of the above prescriptive requirements (e.g. relaxed fire-door/heat-detector requirements) for 1-3 storey buildings.

• 1-4 persons sharing: minimum 1 bathroom and 1 WC (may be combined); no requirement for wash hand basins in sleeping rooms.
• 5 persons: 1 bathroom AND 1 separate WC with wash hand basin (the WC may be in a second bathroom); a wash hand basin may be required in each sleeping room.
• 6-10 persons: 2 bathrooms AND 2 separate WCs with wash hand basins (one WC may be within one bathroom).
• 11-15 persons: 3 bathrooms AND 3 separate WCs with wash hand basins (two WCs may be within two bathrooms).
• General ratio guidance: minimum 1 bathroom per 5 sharing persons and 1 WC per 4 sharing persons (or part thereof), per the Essex Approved Code of Practice; no letting should be more than one floor from the nearest bathroom or WC.
• Shared kitchen size: 9.3 m² for up to 5 persons sharing; 18 m² (or 2 kitchens) for 6-10 persons.
• Shared kitchen equipment (per set, for up to 5 persons): 4-ring hob with oven and grill (2-ring hob acceptable only within a self-contained bedsit); 1500mm x 450mm worktop per user; 1 sink (a 2nd sink required for 6-10 persons, a 3rd for 11-15); at least 3 double power points above the worktop; a food storage cupboard per unit of accommodation; a fridge (equivalent of 2 worktop-height fridge/freezers for up to 5 persons); a fire blanket in every kitchen/bedsit.
• Kitchen facilities must not be more than one floor from the letting; where 2+ floors distant with lobby doors/multiple staircases, minor food prep facilities (at least a kettle) must be provided in the letting.

• HMO Definition Checklist / Definition of HMO — Council-provided guidance documents to confirm whether a property meets the HMO definition before applying.
• Fit and proper person evidence — The council must be satisfied the proposed licence holder and any manager is a 'fit and proper person' before granting a licence.
• Property management standards evidence — Evidence that management standards are being applied at the property.
• Suitability for occupation evidence — Evidence the HMO is, or can be made, reasonably suitable for occupation by the number of tenants proposed under the licence (e.g. bathroom, toilet and cooking facility provision).

• brentwood.gov.uk
• document.brentwood.gov.uk
• document.brentwood.gov.uk

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