HMO licensing in Horsham

Horsham District 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 £1,219, and £1,219 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Fee applies equally to a new HMO licence and to a licence renewal ('For all HMOs, whether shared house or bedsit, for initial HMO Licence and for renewal of an HMO licence'). Fee is charged in two parts — an application fee plus a separate issuing fee — with a discount if both are paid together at the time of application. For up to 5 bedrooms/bedsits: application fee £1,164 + issuing fee £55 = £1,219 total, reduced to £1,169 if paid upfront together. Larger properties scale up: 6 rooms £1,284 (£1,234 upfront); 7 rooms £1,348 (£1,298 upfront); 10 rooms £1,542 (£1,492 upfront); beyond 5 rooms the formula is £1,164 + £65 per room over 5 + £55 issuing fee. An incomplete application incurs a £75 administration fee, deducted from the submitted fee.

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

• Every HMO must have an appropriate means of escape and fire detection system suited to the property type and use; bedsits with individual cooking facilities require a higher level of protection than a shared house with a single kitchen
• Fire detection systems must comply with BS 5839-6:2019 (fire detection and fire alarm systems for domestic premises)
• The person having control of the HMO must have a Fire Risk Assessment carried out by a competent person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
• The council refers to the LACORS Fire Safety Guide and Building Regulations Approved Documents when assessing structural fire safety
• 30-minute fire doors (providing 30 minutes' fire resistance to BS 476 or EN 1634) may be required as part of a protected escape route
• Emergency lighting systems, where required, must comply with BS 5266
• Water extinguishers are expected on escape routes, and carbon dioxide extinguishers plus fire blankets in shared kitchens; all fire safety equipment must be checked periodically
• Upholstered furniture must comply with the Furnishings (Fire Safety) Amendment Regulations 1993

• Non-shared kitchen/cooking facilities within an individual letting must include: a fixed sink with drainer (hot and cold water), a cooker with minimum 2 burners/hob, oven and grill, minimum 2 double electrical sockets plus dedicated sockets for cooker/fridge, a fixed worktop of at least 500mm x 1000mm, a storage cupboard of at least 0.16 cubic m, and a fridge of at least 0.15 cubic m
• Shared kitchens (used by more than one household) must include: a fixed sink with drainer, a cooker with 4 burners/hob, oven and grill, minimum 3 double electrical sockets plus dedicated cooker/fridge sockets, worktop of 0.5 sq m per user up to a maximum of 2.5 sq m, storage cupboard of 0.16 cubic m per person, and a fridge of at least 0.16 cubic m plus freezer of at least 0.11 cubic m per 5 persons
• The council records and assesses shared vs. non-shared WCs, baths, showers and wash hand basins per letting, with wash hand basins expected within sleeping rooms and any bath/shower room housing a WC
• Property must not exceed the maximum occupancy specified on the licence, or (for non-licensable HMOs) the maximum determined by room sizes
• When measuring room floor area, space with a ceiling height below 1.5m does not count as usable area
• Washing facilities by occupancy (shared houses and bedsits): 1-4 people — at least 1 bathroom and 1 WC (may be combined) with a wash-hand basin in each; 5 people — 1 bathroom plus 1 separate WC with basin, and a basin in each bedroom where practical; 6-10 people — 2 bathrooms and 2 separate WCs (one may be within a bathroom); 11-15 people — 3 bathrooms and 3 separate WCs.
• Each bathroom needs a wash-hand basin (min 560 x 430 mm) plus a bath (min 1700 x 760 mm) or shower cubicle (min 800 x 800 mm), splash-backs, slip-resistant impervious flooring, mechanical extraction at 15 l/s, and fixed heating able to hold 22°C when it is -1°C outside; separate WC compartments need an opening window (1/20 of floor area) or 6 l/s extraction. Bathrooms should be no more than one floor from sleeping accommodation.
• Heating: fully controllable, thermostatic and programmable; night-storage heaters need a convector boost; paraffin, LPG and free-standing plug-in electric heaters are not acceptable; communal areas must reach 18°C (bathrooms 22°C) at -1°C outside and must not run on prepayment meters; around 270 mm loft insulation is expected.

• Completed HMO application form — All 13 parts of the current HMO Application Form must be completed and signed, with a checklist of required supporting documents at the end of the form
• Gas safety certificate — Annual safety check on all gas appliances/fittings/flues under the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998; only certificates from a Gas Safe registered installer are accepted
• Licence fee — Full fee (application + issuing fee, or the discounted upfront total) must be submitted with the application; incomplete applications incur a £75 admin fee
• Supporting documents per end-of-form checklist
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — Valid EICR, renewed at least every 5 years by a competent electrician; any code C1/C2 items must be remedied.
• Energy Performance Certificate — A copy of the most recent EPC should be provided to the council on request.

• horsham.gov.uk
• horsham.gov.uk
• horsham.gov.uk
• horsham.gov.uk

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