South East
HMO licensing in Gravesham
Gravesham Borough 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 Gravesham (checked September 2026). The published licence fee starts at £1,005.62 (£909.91 to renew).
Mandatory licence
5+ people, 2+ households
National scheme
Additional / selective
None in force
Mandatory licensing only
Licence fee
From £1,005.62
Renewal £909.91
Decision time
Not published
Licensing schemes in Gravesham
Gravesham 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.
Licence fees
The published fee for a new HMO licence is £1,005.62, and £909.91 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.
Gravesham splits the HMO licence fee into Part A (payable on submission) and Part B (payable once the application has been verified). New applications: Part A £541.81 + Part B £463.81 = £1,005.62 total (figures confirmed directly from the council's 'Apply for a HMO Licence' page). Renewal of an existing licence: Part A £464.98 + Part B £444.93 = £909.91 total. No accredited-landlord discount is published on the fees page.
Check the current fee on the council website (gravesham.gov.uk) before you apply.
Minimum room sizes
| Single bedroom (1 person unit) | 6.51 m² minimum. Combined bedroom + living space (1 person): 10 m² minimum. Combined bedroom, living and kitchen (1 person, e.g. bedsit/studio): 13 m² minimum. |
|---|---|
| Double bedroom (2 person unit) | 10.22 m² minimum. Combined bedroom + living space (2 person): 14 m² minimum. Combined bedroom, living and kitchen (2 person): 20.5 m² minimum. |
| notes | These figures are taken directly from Gravesham's own 'Guidance to HMO Amenity Standards' (version marked 'V4 2026'), which states 6.51 m² and 10.22 m² are 'the proposed national minimum size for one and two person HMO rooms' and that 'no rooms below 6.51m2 will be considered as suitable for sleeping.' Dimensions exclude any en-suite bathroom/WC space and are based on a floor-to-ceiling height of at least 1.5 m within standard room heights of 2.2-2.3 m. A separate figure for a child's bedroom (under 10) is not stated in this document; the national fallback of 4.64 m² (Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018) applies by default. |
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
- A current (no older than one year) Fire Alarm Test Certificate and a current Fire Risk Assessment must be submitted with a valid licence application.
- Fire detection and warning provision scales with property size/storeys - e.g. for 1-3 storey properties the guidance specifies a Grade D, Category LD2 interlinked mains fire and smoke detection system, carbon monoxide alarms in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, and fire extinguishers/blankets kept in kitchens.
- All fire doors must comply with BS EN 1634-1:2014+A1:2018 and BS 476: Part 22, be fitted with appropriate self-closers, and any letterboxes within fire doors must use intumescent letterbox systems providing at least 30-minute fire resistance.
- Landlords must comply with the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and, where applicable, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO).
Kitchen, bathroom and amenity standards
- Kitchen size scales with occupancy: e.g. 1-3 occupants require a 5 m² kitchen with 2 m² dining area per person; 6 occupants require a 9 m² kitchen; 7-10 occupants require a 12 m² kitchen (2 kitchens required from 11 occupants upward), per the council's Kitchen Size Requirements table.
- Cooking facilities: a full set (4-ring hob, oven and grill) is required per 5 persons sharing, scaling up to two 4-ring hobs/two ovens for 7-10 occupants; a kitchen must not be the sole access route to a bedroom and must not be sited in a hallway.
- Personal washing/WC facilities scale with occupancy: 1-4 occupants require 1 bath/shower, 1 wash-hand basin and 1 WC (WC may be within the main bathroom); at 5-10 occupants an additional separate WC with wash-hand basin is required; 11-20 occupants require 2 full sets; 21+ occupants require 3 full sets (a separate WC and basin are required where WCs are within full bathrooms at higher occupancies).
Documents you will need
- Licence application form — Fully completed and signed, Part A and Part B.
- Licence fee — Part A and Part B administration fee paid.
- Floor plans — Plans of the property showing room layout.
- EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report, no older than 5 years.
- Gas safety record — Landlords Gas Safety Record, no older than 1 year, where gas appliances are present.
- Fire alarm test certificate — Current, no older than 1 year.
- Fire risk assessment — Current Fire Risk Assessment for the property.
- PAT certificate — Portable Appliance Test certificate, no older than 1 year.
- Emergency lighting test certificate — Where emergency lighting is installed, no older than 1 year.
- Tenancy agreement — A copy of a tenancy agreement used at 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 Gravesham Borough Council before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.