East of England
HMO licensing in Chelmsford
Chelmsford City 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 Chelmsford (checked September 2026). The published licence fee starts at £900.
Mandatory licence
5+ people, 2+ households
National scheme
Additional / selective
None in force
Mandatory licensing only
Licence fee
From £900
Decision time
About 12 weeks
The council's stated aim
Licensing schemes in Chelmsford
Chelmsford City 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 £900, and £900 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.
Chelmsford confirms it does not operate Additional or Selective licensing, so all fees relate to the mandatory scheme. The fee for an HMO with up to 5 units of accommodation (lettable rooms) is £900; for HMOs with more than 5 units, it is £900 plus £55 for each additional unit (e.g. an 8-unit HMO costs £1,065 total: £900 + 3 x £55). The council states the application will not be processed until all required information is supplied and the fee is paid; no separate instalment plan or discounted renewal rate is published.
Check the current fee on the council website (chelmsford.gov.uk) before you apply.
Minimum room sizes
| Bedroom/letting room, 1 occupant, HMO with shared kitchen/dining/living | 6.51 m² minimum. |
|---|---|
| Bedroom/letting room, 2 occupants, HMO with shared kitchen/dining/living | 10.22 m² minimum. |
| Bedroom/letting room, 1 occupant, HMO with shared kitchen only (no shared living room) | 8.5 m² minimum. |
| Bedroom/letting room, 2 occupants, HMO with shared kitchen only | 12 m² minimum. |
| Bedroom/letting room, 1 occupant, bedsit with kitchen facilities in the room | 11 m² minimum. |
| Bedroom/letting room, 2 occupants, bedsit with kitchen facilities in the room | 15 m² minimum. |
| Notes | From 1 October 2018, national legislation sets the absolute minimum sleeping-room floor area at 10.22 m² for 2 people over 10, 6.51 m² for 1 person over 10, and 4.64 m² for 1 child under 10 (a room under 4.64 m² cannot be used for sleeping). Chelmsford applies the Essex HMO Amenity Standards (Essex-wide guidance, last revised November 2022) shown above, which meet or exceed the national minimum. Source: Essex HMO Amenity Standards, Table 1. |
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
- Fire safety is assessed against LACORS Housing – Fire Safety Guidance, applied case-by-case with reference to Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, taking account of the property's storey count and type (shared house, bedsit or self-contained flats).
- A written fire risk assessment is required for all HMOs and shared buildings, except those occupied by a single cohesive group of sharers under one tenancy (Essex HMO Amenity Standards, Table 5).
- Fire detection and alarm provision, emergency lighting and a safe escape route must be suitable for the property's layout and occupancy.
Kitchen, bathroom and amenity standards
- Kitchen area: 7 m² minimum for up to 5 sharers, rising to 8.5 m² for 6, 10 m² for 7, and 14 m² (or two 7 m² rooms) for 8-10 sharers, per the Essex HMO Amenity Standards.
- Bathrooms/WCs: 1 bathroom and 1 WC for fewer than 5 sharers (can be combined); at 5 sharers the WC must be in a separate room from the bathroom; 2 bathrooms and 2 WCs for 6-8 sharers (one WC may be within a bathroom, but for 6-9 occupants at least one WC must be separate); 2 bathrooms and 2 WCs for 9-10 sharers with at least one WC in a fully separate room with its own wash-hand basin.
- Heating must maintain 21°C in living/sleeping rooms, 22°C in bathrooms and 18°C elsewhere when it is -1°C outside; portable paraffin, oil-fired or bottled gas (LPG) heaters are prohibited.
- Minimum electrical socket provision: 2 double sockets in shared-house bedrooms, 3 double sockets in a bedsit with separate kitchen, 5 double sockets in a bedsit/studio containing its own kitchen; shared kitchens need at least 3 double sockets above worktops.
- Natural lighting equivalent to at least 1/10 of a habitable room's floor area, and ventilation (openable window) equivalent to at least 1/20 of the floor area.
- Adequate, hygienic waste disposal arrangements must be provided and must comply with the local authority's storage and waste scheme where one exists.
Documents you will need
- Gas safety certificate — Current record for any gas appliances in the property.
- EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report for the property.
- Fire risk assessment — Written fire risk assessment covering communal areas and escape routes.
- Floor plan — Showing room sizes and the proposed number of occupants per room.
- Tenancy agreement copy — Copy of a current tenancy agreement 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 Chelmsford City Council before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.