HMO licensing in Darlington

Darlington 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.

Darlington Borough Council does not publish a single figure we could confirm. Fees are set by the council and reviewed each year, so check its fees page.

Darlington charges its HMO licence fee in two parts, published on the council's Private Sector Housing Fees schedule: a 'Part A Licence Application' fee of £217.00, invoiced and payable on submission of the application (non-refundable if the application is invalid), and a 'Part B 5 year HMO licence per letting' fee of £155.00, invoiced after the application is validated and payable before the licence is granted. The council's own wording describes Part B as charged 'per letting', meaning the total licence fee scales with the number of lettings/units in the HMO rather than being a single flat charge — Foldstead cannot verify a single all-in total figure from the published fee schedule, so no combined totalGbp is given here; landlords should treat £217 (Part A) plus £155 per letting (Part B) as the fee structure. A separate 'Variation of HMO Licence' fee of £124.00 applies to changes to an existing licence, and 'other relevant HMO activities' are charged at £65.00 per hour. The licence lasts up to 5 years.

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

• Darlington's fire safety approach for HMOs is set out in a joint standard, 'Fire Safety Precautions in Houses in Multiple Occupation', produced by County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service in association with both Darlington Borough Council and Durham County Council, based on LACORS Housing – Fire Safety Guidance (2008, revised 2009).
• 2-storey shared houses: Grade D LD3 interlinked smoke alarm system on the escape route at all floor levels, plus an interlinked heat detector in the kitchen, a smoke detector in the lounge, and a smoke detector in any cellar; FD30S fire doors with self-closers required to kitchens/rooms containing kitchens.
• 3-storey shared houses (whether or not licensable): BS 5839 Grade A fire warning system in common areas plus a Grade D LD2 system throughout individual dwellings/bedsits/study bedrooms; FD30S fire doors to all risk rooms; interlinked heat detector in the kitchen.
• 3-storey bedsit-type HMOs: BS 5839 Grade A LD2 interlinked detection throughout the escape route and any cellar, plus either a non-interlinked Grade D smoke alarm in each bedsit (where kitchen facilities sit within the bedsit) or full Grade A LD2 interlinked detection in each bedsit (shared kitchen facilities).
• 30-minute fire-resisting walls, ceilings and doors required on the protected escape route (60 minutes between an occupied basement/commercial premises and the floor above); escape route must be free of obstructions and combustible materials.
• Escape windows (where used as primary or secondary escape) must have a minimum 0.33 m² openable area and minimum 450mm width/height; not acceptable above the first floor except in exceptional circumstances.
• Carbon monoxide detector required in any room containing a solid-fuel combustion appliance.
• Emergency lighting required where the protected escape route lacks adequate natural or borrowed background lighting, in accordance with the current Darlington Standard Management Conditions document.
• A written fire risk assessment is required as part of a valid HMO licence application, together with a Fire Detection/Alarm System Certificate and, where applicable, an Emergency Lighting certificate.

• Amenity and management standards are set out in Darlington's own Standard Management Conditions document and the national Licensing of HMOs (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018, which the council applies as licence conditions.
• The council can grant a licence with conditions requiring amenity improvements, or limit maximum occupancy to reflect the amenities actually provided (kitchen, bathroom and WC facilities).
• A valid Gas Safety Certificate and a valid Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) must be provided and kept current throughout the licence.
• Landlords must provide tenants with a copy of the Government's 'How to Rent' checklist and comply with 'Right to Rent' immigration checks.
• All certification submitted (gas, electrical, fire) must be signed, legible and in its original colour scheme; digital signatures are accepted provided this is acknowledged.

• Gas safety certificate (CP12) — Current Landlord Gas Safety Record required with the application if gas is supplied to the property.
• EICR — Valid Electrical Installation Condition Report (Electrical Safety Condition Report), required as part of a valid application.
• Fire risk assessment — Written fire risk assessment for the property, required for a duly made application.
• Fire detection/alarm system certificate — Certificate confirming the fire detection and alarm system has been installed/tested and, where required, an emergency lighting certificate.
• Tenancy agreement — A blank/sample tenancy agreement used for lettings at the property, plus the lease agreement if the applicant is not the property owner or the owner is based outside the UK.
• EPC — Valid Energy Performance Certificate for the property.
• Right to Work / Right to Rent documentation — Required where the applicant is not a limited company, to satisfy immigration checks.
• Planning permission / Building Regulation completion certificate — Required if applicable to the property — from 28 July 2026 Darlington requires planning approval for all HMOs in the borough.

• darlington.gov.uk
• darlington.gov.uk
• durham.gov.uk

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