Yorkshire and the Humber

HMO licensing in Calderdale

Calderdale 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 Calderdale (checked September 2026). The published licence fee starts at £989.12 (£703.12 to renew).

Mandatory licence

5+ people, 2+ households

National scheme

Additional / selective

None in force

Mandatory licensing only

Licence fee

From £989.12

Renewal £703.12

Decision time

Not published

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Licensing schemes in Calderdale

Calderdale 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.

Licence fees

The published fee for a new HMO licence is £989.12, and £703.12 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

The HMO licence fee for a 5-9 unit HMO is £989.12 for a new application, paid in two stages: a £530.00 administration fee on submission of the application, plus a £459.12 inspection fee invoiced before the licence is issued. Larger HMOs cost more: £1,070.96 (10-19 units), £1,152.80 (20-29 units), £1,234.64 (30-39 units) and £1,316.48 (40+ units). The renewal fee for a 5-9 unit HMO is £703.12 (£244.00 administration fee plus the same £459.12 inspection fee); renewal fees for larger HMOs are £784.96 (10-19), £866.80 (20-29), £948.64 (30-39) and £1,030.48 (40+ units).

Check the current fee on the council website (new.calderdale.gov.uk) before you apply.

Minimum room sizes

Double bedroom	10.22 m² minimum for a double room (2 people cohabiting as a couple) in an HMO with a separate kitchen AND a separate lounge/living room. Where there's a separate kitchen but no separate lounge, the minimum rises to 12 m²; in a bedsit with its own within-room kitchen, it's 15 m². A double room for 2 children under 10 must be at least 10.22 m² (with separate kitchen/lounge) or 6.31 m² is the figure quoted for that specific scenario in the standards table. No room under 4.64 m² may ever be used as sleeping accommodation. (Calderdale Council Standards for HMOs, Revised November 2023, sections 2.3–2.5)
Single bedroom	6.51 m² minimum for a single room (1 person over age 10) in an HMO with a separate kitchen AND a separate lounge/living room. Where there's a separate kitchen but no separate lounge, the minimum rises to 9 m²; in a bedsit with its own within-room kitchen, it's 11 m². A single room for a child under 10 must be at least 4.64 m². No room under 4.64 m² may ever be used as sleeping accommodation. (Calderdale Council Standards for HMOs, Revised November 2023, sections 2.3–2.5)

Double bedroom

10.22 m² minimum for a double room (2 people cohabiting as a couple) in an HMO with a separate kitchen AND a separate lounge/living room. Where there's a separate kitchen but no separate lounge, the minimum rises to 12 m²; in a bedsit with its own within-room kitchen, it's 15 m². A double room for 2 children under 10 must be at least 10.22 m² (with separate kitchen/lounge) or 6.31 m² is the figure quoted for that specific scenario in the standards table. No room under 4.64 m² may ever be used as sleeping accommodation. (Calderdale Council Standards for HMOs, Revised November 2023, sections 2.3–2.5)

Single bedroom

6.51 m² minimum for a single room (1 person over age 10) in an HMO with a separate kitchen AND a separate lounge/living room. Where there's a separate kitchen but no separate lounge, the minimum rises to 9 m²; in a bedsit with its own within-room kitchen, it's 11 m². A single room for a child under 10 must be at least 4.64 m². No room under 4.64 m² may ever be used as sleeping accommodation. (Calderdale Council Standards for HMOs, Revised November 2023, sections 2.3–2.5)

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

An automatic fire detection and alarm system complying with BS 5839 Part 6: 2019 is required in most cases, with heat or smoke detectors in kitchens and sleeping/living rooms and a current inspection certificate from a competent person.
Emergency lighting meeting BS 5266-1 is required in most cases, illuminating the staircase enclosure if the main lighting fails, with a current inspection certificate.
Electricity supplies to the fire alarm and emergency lighting systems must be from the landlord's own supply, with a current inspection certificate for the fixed electrical installation and any portable appliances supplied by the landlord.
Rooms opening onto an escape route generally need a 30-minute fire door, with cold smoke seals, intumescent strips, three 100mm steel hinges, an overhead door closer, and a lock openable from inside without a key.
Kitchens and lettings with kitchen areas must have a properly mounted fire blanket.
Larger HMOs, or any HMO with a regular turnover of residents, need clear escape signage complying with the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996.
The licence holder or appointed manager is the 'responsible person' under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and must appoint a competent person to help with preventative and protective fire safety measures.
Gas safety checks must be carried out annually and the fixed electrical installation inspected every 5 years, in line with the HMO Management Regulations.

Kitchen, bathroom and amenity standards

A minimum ceiling height of 2.1m over at least half the floor area is expected in all rooms; floor area below a 1.5m ceiling height is discounted from room-size calculations.
Kitchen facilities: one set of facilities per 5 occupants where not provided exclusively; minimum kitchen floor areas scale from 5.5 m² (1 person) up to 14.5 m² (8–10 people); a kitchen for up to 5 people needs at least 1 cooker with 4 burners, oven and grill, a sink and drainer on a base unit with constant hot/cold water, and worktop space adjacent to the cooker.
No kitchen facilities are permitted in hallways, landings or on a means of escape from fire.
Where a child's bedroom is provided for a child under 10, it must be adjacent to or directly across from the parent/guardian's bedroom, must not contain kitchen or bathroom facilities, and must have a wireless door sensor.
Balcony guarding must be at least 1100mm high with no gaps greater than 100mm; windowsills below 1100mm on upper floors need overridable window restrictors.
Rooms containing their own kitchen facilities are not suitable for occupation by children aged 0–17, and are not suitable for more than one person (or more than a cohabiting couple).
Hostel/B&B-type HMOs require a common room sized at 1 m² of floor area per person, including at least one area of 15 m².

Documents you will need

Gas safety certificate — Annual gas safety check confirmation, required under the HMO Management Regulations 2006.
EICR — Fixed electrical installation inspected and certified every 5 years by a competent person.
PAT certificate — Portable appliance testing declaration required as part of the licence application.
Soft furnishings declaration — Declaration confirming furniture and furnishings comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1998.
Fire alarm/emergency lighting inspection certificate — Current inspection certificate from a competent person for the fire detection and (where fitted) emergency lighting systems.
EPC — Required where accommodation is let to a group under a single tenancy; minimum E rating applies under the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) Regulations 2015.
Floor plan — Sketch or professional floor plan showing rooms and appliance positions for each floor level.

Sources

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