HMO licensing in King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk 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.

Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk does not publish a single figure we could confirm. Fees are set by the council and reviewed each year, so check its fees page.

Fee scales with the number of bedrooms in the HMO (3 to 15 bedrooms) and is split into Part 1 (processing the application up to the decision to license) and Part 2 (issuing the licence and ongoing inspection over the 5-year licence). NEW application fees (total = Part 1 + Part 2): 3 bed £768 (£380+£388); 4 bed £815 (£399+£416); 5 bed £861 (£418+£443); 6 bed £953 (£455+£498); 7 bed £999 (£474+£525); 8 bed £1,046 (£493+£553); 9 bed £1,092 (£512+£580); 10 bed £1,138 (£531+£607); 11 bed £1,230 (£568+£662); 12 bed £1,277 (£587+£690); 13 bed £1,323 (£606+£717); 14 bed £1,369 (£625+£744); 15 bed £1,415 (£643+£772). RENEWAL application fees: 3 bed £649 (£299+£350); 4 bed £684 (£312+£372); 5 bed £719 (£325+£394); 6 bed £788 (£351+£437); 7 bed £823 (£364+£459); 8 bed £858 (£376+£481); 9 bed £892 (£389+£503); 10 bed £927 (£402+£525); 11 bed £996 (£428+£568); 12 bed £1,031 (£441+£590); 13 bed £1,066 (£454+£612); 14 bed £1,101 (£467+£633); 15 bed £1,135 (£480+£655). Both parts can be paid at the outset. There is currently no fee to vary a licence. Refunds: withdrawal before processing = full refund of both parts; withdrawal before the inspection = Part 1 refund of £158 (new application) or £129 (renewal) plus full Part 2 refund; after inspection = nil Part 1 refund, full Part 2 refund. No accredited-landlord discount is published on the council's HMO application page. totalGbp/renewalGbp/instalments are left null because the fee is bedroom-based with no single flat figure; use the tables above. The council page does not state an effective date for the fees, so they are current as published on the page at time of research (September 2026).

Check the current fee on the council website (west-norfolk.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.

• Fire precautions must follow the council's fire safety guidance, based on the LACORS 'Housing - Fire safety' guide and the Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service consultation; the council's HMO standards page links to the LACORS guide and the Housing Standards (HomeStamp) fire and security guide.
• Automatic Fire Detection and Alarm (AFD) system must be tested and maintained to BS 5839; failures must be dealt with promptly by a competent person; periodic inspection certificates for AFD, emergency lighting and firefighting equipment must be supplied within 28 days of demand (licence conditions 24, 25, 30).
• All fire precautionary equipment (fire doors, firefighting equipment, fire separation/compartmentation) must be maintained and tested to the relevant British Standard; escape-route signage kept in good condition (conditions 26, 29).
• Kitchens: fire blanket and a small multi-purpose extinguisher (electrical/fat fires) as a minimum, and fire doors separating the kitchen where the council's fire guidance requires.
• The electricity supply to the AFD must not be interrupted or moved to a pre-payment meter (condition 38); activations of the alarm sounders must be dealt with promptly at any time of day (condition 43).
• Carbon monoxide alarm required in any living-accommodation room containing a fixed combustion appliance (other than a gas cooker); LPG must not be used or stored (conditions 35, 37).
• Furniture and furnishings must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (condition 34); the licence holder must notify the council within 48 hours of any significant fire (condition 10).

• Shared sanitary facilities (Table 1): 1-4 persons = 1 bathroom + 1 toilet (may be combined in one room); 5 persons = 1 bathroom + 1 toilet; 6-10 persons = 2 bathrooms + 2 toilets (at least one toilet in a separate compartment); 11-15 persons = 3 bathrooms + 3 toilets; 16+ needs consultation with the council.
• 'Bathroom' means a bath or shower plus a vanity wash-hand basin; a bath is required where children are in occupation. Bathrooms must have mechanical ventilation to outside and adequate heating; bathrooms and toilets must be on the same or adjacent floor to the unit they serve.
• Shared kitchen for 5 persons: 1 sink of at least 500 x 600 mm with drainer (1 extra sink per 5 occupants or part thereof; a dishwasher can replace one), 1 four-ring cooker with oven and grill (1 extra cooker per 5 occupants or part thereof; 300 mm worktop each side), 6 double sockets by worktops (plus 1 additional double socket per 2 persons over 5) and a dedicated 30 amp supply for an electric cooker.
• Shared kitchen worktop: 500 mm length per user (minimum 2.5 m for 5 users); food storage: 500 mm floor cupboard or 1000 mm wall cupboard per person (space under sink excluded); fridge-freezer of 250-300 litres for 5 persons, increased proportionately; 3 labelled bins of at least 50 litres each for recycling, compostable and general waste.
• Kitchens need mechanical extraction to outside (Approved Document F); kitchens should be no more than one floor from the living and sleeping accommodation.
• Where a unit has its own kitchen: fixed sink with drainer, cooker with at least 4 rings, oven and grill (2 rings if a microwave is provided), 3 double sockets, 1000 mm worktop, food storage cupboard and fridge with freezer compartment.
• Heating: habitable rooms, bathrooms and WCs capable of reaching 21 C when outside is -1 C; communal areas 19 C. Habitable-room ventilation openable area at least 1/20 of floor area; glazing at least 1/10 of floor area; minimum ceiling height 2.14 m.
• Electrical: fixed installation inspected and tested at least every 5 years (Electrical Safety Standards in the PRS (England) Regulations 2020); annual gas safety for gas appliances; certificates to be supplied to the council on request.

• Scaled floor plans — 1:50 scale plan of each storey showing location and size of each room (dimensions and room areas), all fire precaution equipment and fire escape routes.
• Proof of identity — Photographic ID (e.g. passport or valid UK driving licence) for the applicant / proposed licence holder and manager. Clear copies are accepted.
• Proof of address (two documents) — Two of: current driving licence; bank or building society statement (last 3 months); utility bill (last 3 months, not mobile phone); recent tax correspondence. Address must be the permanent residential and business address of the applicant/licence holder/manager and not the HMO itself unless it is their main residence.
• Fit and proper person declaration(s) — Fit and proper person form for the licence holder and manager (online form on the council's application page); extra forms are available for additional persons.
• Payment card — Credit or debit card for the fee, which is paid online (see the fee tables in the notes).
• Gas safety, EICR and fire alarm records (post-licence obligation) — Not listed as application-stage documents on the council's page, but licence conditions require copies of the Landlord Gas Safety Record within 7 days of being obtained, every EICR/EIC within 14 days, and AFD/emergency lighting/extinguisher inspection certificates within 28 days of demand.

• west-norfolk.gov.uk
• west-norfolk.gov.uk
• west-norfolk.gov.uk
• west-norfolk.gov.uk
• west-norfolk.gov.uk

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