HMO licensing in Hastings

Hastings 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.

The published fee for a new HMO licence is £1,262, and £1,262 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Mandatory HMO licence fee is charged as a flat fee scaled by the number of letting units (bedsits) in the property, split into a Part 1 fee (payable on application) and a Part 2 fee (payable only if the licence is granted). The same total fee applies to both new applications and renewals — there is no separate lower renewal rate. No accredited-landlord discount is published; the only discount listed in council fee-setting papers is a 100% fee waiver for applications made by charities registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Fee bands (Total / Part 1 / Part 2): up to 5 units £1,262 / £638 / £624; 6–10 units £1,388 / £702 / £686; 11–15 units £1,514 / £766 / £748; 16–20 units £1,640 / £829 / £811; 21–25 units £1,766 / £893 / £873; 25–30 units £1,892 / £957 / £935.

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

• All occupants must be able to evacuate the building safely in the event of fire, via prevention of fire spread/containment, adequate means of escape, early-warning detection, and safe egress arrangements (Hastings BC Amenity Standards booklet)
• Fire precautions required vary by size, type and layout of the property; enforced with reference to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and national guidance/British Standards
• Shared kitchens must include fire blankets and fire doors; fire blankets must not be sited immediately adjacent to or over a cooker
• Landlords are advised to seek advice from a fire safety professional and confirm specific requirements with the council's Licensing Team before carrying out works

• Shared kitchen facilities: generally one set of kitchen facilities (sink/drainer, cooker, worktop, storage, fridge/freezer) per 5 occupants, with a maximum of two sets of facilities in the same kitchen (i.e. up to 9 occupants)
• Kitchen minimum floor area: 6.5 sq m for 3–4 persons, 7 sq m for 5 persons, 8.5 sq m for 6 persons, 9 sq m for 7 persons (excludes dining space)
• Bathrooms/WCs scale with occupancy: 1–4 persons – 1 bathroom/shower room + 1 toilet; 5 persons – 1 bathroom/shower room + 1 toilet (WC may be within shower room); 6–10 persons – 1 bathroom/shower room + 1 toilet, WC and shower room in separate rooms; 11–15 persons – 2 bathrooms/shower rooms + 2 toilets; higher occupancies scale further
• Where there are 5+ occupants, at least half of all shared WCs must be separate from the bath/shower room
• Each bathroom requires a bath of at least 1700mm x 700mm or a shower of at least 800mm x 800mm, with adequate hot/cold water and mechanical extraction of at least 15 litres/second (bathrooms) or 6 litres/second (separate WCs)
• Each unit of accommodation must have constant access to a shared kitchen no more than one floor away
• Personal washing/toilet facilities should not normally be more than one floor away from the accommodation they serve

• Certification for gas installations — Required as part of Part 2 (Property details) of the application — landlord must confirm which certificates are held and submit them by email (Hastings BC application guidance)
• Certification for electrical installations — Required alongside gas and fire alarm certification as part of the property details section of the application
• Certification for fire alarm installations — Required as part of the property details/fire precautions section of the application
• Part 1 – Control, management and ownership details — Information about the person(s) having control of the HMO and any other persons involved in management
• Part 2 – Property details — Information on sleeping accommodation, amenities, occupancy levels and fire precautions in the property
• Part 3 – Fitness and suitability of management arrangements — Fit-and-proper-person declarations plus details of qualifications, competency and experience of all proposed licence holders/managers

• hastings.gov.uk
• hastings.gov.uk
• hastings.gov.uk
• hastings.gov.uk
• hastings.gov.uk
• hastings.gov.uk
• hastings.moderngov.co.uk

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