HMO licensing in Dorset

Dorset 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 £900, and £740 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Current, unified post-2019 Dorset Council fee schedule, published on the council's own 'Mandatory HMO licensing' page and confirmed in the live page HTML: 'From 1 April 2026, we now charge £900 for the first 5 year licence and £740 to renew for a further 5 years.' A 10% discount applies for landlords committing to the standards required by the Council's Landlord Forum or a recognised landlord association, reducing fees to £810 (new) and £666 (renewal). This is a single flat fee per licence, not scaled by occupant/unit count. For reference, the council's June 2023 'Mandatory Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation' guidance notes PDF recorded the prior 2022/23 fees as £810 (first licence) and £670 (renewal), showing the fee has risen since unification. If the licence is refused, the fee is refunded in full.

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

• Council guidance (Mandatory HMO Licensing guidance notes, June 2023) requires the 'responsible person' for a licensable HMO to hold a written, suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
• The council follows LACORS 'Housing – Fire Safety' guidance (July 2008) as the recognised national standard for fire precautions in HMOs, supplemented by its own adopted HMO Amenity Standards.
• Interlinked fire detection systems (Grade A or Grade D per LACORS categories) are specified, with protected escape routes and fire-resisting doors on the means of escape, per the council's amenity standards page.
• Fire blankets in kitchens and emergency lighting (where necessary) are also specified in the council's amenity standards.
• Dorset Council is the lead authority for fire safety in HMOs but routinely inspects and consults with Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service before requiring works or specifying fire safety licence conditions.
• Mandatory licence conditions include gas safety testing/certification, electrical appliance testing/certification, and furnishings being fire-retardant, per the council's guidance notes.

• 1–4 persons sharing: at least 1 bath/shower, 1 toilet and 1 wash basin (Dorset Council HMO Amenity Standards).
• 5 persons: at least 1 bath/shower plus 1 separate toilet with basin.
• 6–10 persons: at least 2 bath/showers and 2 toilets with basins.
• 11–15 persons: at least 3 bath/showers and 3 toilets with basins.
• Shared kitchens: minimum 5.5 m² for 1–5 persons, 7 m² for 6 persons, scaling up to 11–15 m² for 7 or more persons, per the council's amenity standards.
• Each shared kitchen requires at least one conventional cooker per 5–6 occupants, plus proportional refrigeration, worktop and storage space.
• Bedrooms combined with kitchen/living facilities have separate, larger minimum areas (roughly 10–13 m² for a single occupant, 19–21 m² for a double, depending on whether cooking facilities are included) — see the council's amenity standards document for exact figures by configuration.

• Fire alarm, emergency lighting and sprinkler system certificates — Up-to-date copies are requested as supporting documentation with the application, per Dorset Council's 'Mandatory Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation' guidance notes (June 2023).
• Tenancy agreements — Copies of occupiers' tenancy/occupation agreements, listed as typical supporting documentation in the council's guidance notes.
• Plans of the property — Floor plans of the HMO, listed as typical supporting documentation in the council's guidance notes.
• Gas safety certificate — Gas safety testing and certification is listed as a mandatory HMO licence condition in the council's guidance. The guidance does not explicitly state it must be submitted at the point of application (as opposed to being an ongoing condition), so applicants should confirm current practice with Housing Standards.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — Electrical appliance testing and certification is listed as a mandatory HMO licence condition. As with the gas certificate, the guidance does not explicitly confirm it is collected at application stage rather than checked as an ongoing condition.
• Fire risk assessment — A written, suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is required of the responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, referenced in the council's HMO licensing guidance notes.

• dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
• dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
• dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
• dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
• dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
• dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
• dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

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