HMO licensing in Cumberland

Cumberland 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 £750, and £450 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Cumberland Council Fees and Charges 2026-27 (PDF p.53, 'HMO LICENCES', discretionary fees, inclusive of VAT where applicable): new HMO licence £750 'per 8 lettings' (covers up to 8 lettings); renewal £450 'per 8 lettings'; each additional letting room £21; 5% discount for landlords with professional membership of a landlord organisation (e.g. NRLA); variation of licence at holder's request £165; HMO Fit and Proper person external validation fee £150 (if required). A chargeable HMO Development Advice Service also exists (pre-application advice) but its fee amounts could not be reliably aligned from the PDF text and are omitted. The fee is flat for up to 8 lettings plus a per-additional-room supplement, not a per-occupant scale. totalGbp is the new-licence fee for up to 8 lettings. No instalment structure is published.

Check the current fee on the council website (cumberland.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.

• Cumberland's current HMO page does not publish a unified fire-safety specification; it says licence conditions may cover 'fire safety and property standards' and directs landlords to the HMO Development Advice Service.
• Legacy Amenity Standards (2014, hosted on copeland.gov.uk) require compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, refer to the LACORS fire safety guidance adopted by the council in 2008, and point to Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service for advice.
• Those standards require kitchens to have appropriate extractor fans, fire blankets and fire doors.
• National fallback: working smoke alarm on each storey and carbon monoxide alarm in rooms with a solid-fuel appliance (mandatory licence conditions, SI 2018/616; Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015). Not a Cumberland-specific figure.

• Source: legacy 'Amenity Standards in Licensable Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO)' (Standards 2014) hosted on copeland.gov.uk. No replacement unified Cumberland standard was found; confirm current requirements with the council.
• Washing facilities for 5 persons: 1 bathroom/shower room plus 1 separate WC with wash hand basin; larger occupancies (6-15 persons) need 2 to 3 bathrooms/shower rooms with WCs and basins (table layout in the PDF is ambiguous, so confirm the band-by-band numbers with the council). Basins in individual rooms not normally required.
• Shared kitchen (5 persons): 1 sink and draining board with hot and cold water, one cooker with 4-ring hob and oven, 3 double sockets, 0.5 m x 0.6 m worktop per person, 0.4 m3 dry/fridge/freezer storage per person, refuse disposal, extractor fan, fire blanket and fire door. Larger occupancies need 2 sinks (or a dishwasher in place of the second), a bigger cooking provision (6-ring hob or 2 x 4-ring hobs with ovens), 4 double sockets and an attached dining/living area.
• Self-contained bedsit units without shared amenities: 2 rings plus oven or grill, sink with drainer and hot/cold water, at least 1 double socket for kitchen appliances, 1 m worktop per person, 0.4 m3 food storage per person.
• Space heating: each unit must have adequate, tenant-controllable heating; portable paraffin/oil and bottled LPG heaters are not acceptable.
• Sockets: 2 double sockets in each living room and bedroom (plus 1 extra above the worktop if the bedroom has cooking facilities).
• Electrical safety report from a qualified electrician for the whole installation at least every 5 years.

• Gas safety certificate — Current annual Gas Safe certificate where the property has a gas supply.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — Whole-installation report by a qualified electrician at least every 5 years (stated in the legacy amenity standards and national mandatory conditions).
• Fire risk assessment — Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 assessment for the property, with alarm and fire door details.
• Floor plans — Plan showing room sizes, bathroom/WC/kitchen positions and fire safety equipment. Standard licensing practice; Cumberland's current form could not be verified.
• Fit and proper person information — Cumberland checks relevant convictions, breaches of housing or landlord law, unlawful discrimination and previous licence-condition failures; an external validation fee of £150 may be charged if required.
• Application fee — £750 new (up to 8 lettings), £450 renewal, plus £21 per additional letting; 5% landlord-organisation discount.

• cumberland.gov.uk
• cumberland.gov.uk
• copeland.gov.uk
• copeland.gov.uk
• legislation.gov.uk

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