HMO licensing in Mid Sussex

Mid Sussex 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 £1,425, and £1,133 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Scaling, two-part fee published in the council's 'HMO licensing fees' PDF (hmo-2026-27-fees.pdf, linked from the HMO page, which was last updated 31 March 2026). Shared house, per licence: 5 persons - pre-approval fee £957 (cost of processing the application) + fee to issue licence and compliance checks for the 5-year life £468 = £1,425 new; renewal £1,133. 6-10 persons: £972 + £468 = £1,440; renewal £1,148. 11-15 persons: £1,031 + £497 = £1,528; renewal £1,207. 16+ persons: £1,162 + £614 = £1,776; renewal £1,382. Bedsit / mixed lettings by number of units: up to 5 units £1,074 + £557 = £1,631, renewal £1,397; 6-10 units £1,221 + £599 = £1,820, renewal £1,441; 11-15 units £1,294 + £673 = £1,967, renewal £1,586; 16-20 units £1,397 + £760 = £2,157, renewal £1,764; 21-30 units £1,483 + £879 = £2,362, renewal £1,952. Hostels (up to 20 residents) £811 + £381 = £1,192, renewal £811; 21-40 £987 + £556, renewal £1,074; 41-60 £1,250 + £717, renewal £1,455; 61-80 £1,484 + £936, renewal £1,675. Headline figure totalGbp/renewalGbp is the smallest licensable band (5-person shared house). The PDF does not state the payment timing of the two parts, so instalments [957, 468] shows the two published components (pre-approval, then issue/compliance fee) rather than a confirmed payment schedule. No accredited-landlord or landlord-association discount is published. Fee is not normally refundable if a licence is refused (council leaflet).

Check the current fee on the council website (midsussex.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 safety judged against the LACORS/CIEH guidance 'Housing - Fire Safety: Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing'; officers inspect and specify works case by case, with fire authority consultation.
• All HMOs must have an automatic fire detection and alarm system: Grade D (interlinked mains-powered smoke/heat alarms with battery back-up) for smaller shared houses; Grade A (control panel, detectors, sounders, call points, min 75 dBA in bedrooms) generally for larger bedsit / flat conversions. A logbook is kept and available for inspection.
• Doors to rooms opening onto the escape route: self-closing 30-minute fire doors (BS EN 1154 overhead closers), intumescent strips and cold/brush smoke seals on 3 steel hinges; some well-fitting solid timber doors (min 44 mm) may be acceptable. Room locks normally thumb-turn type.
• Escape route: 30-minute fire-resisting partitions and floors/ceilings between units and escape route (60 minutes in basements/cellars/mixed use); escape route kept free of obstructions, cookers, portable heaters and gas bottles; under-stair cupboards lined and fitted with 30-minute doors; final exit openable without key (thumb-turn).
• Inner rooms to be avoided; escape windows only where height and opening size requirements are met and lead to a place of ultimate safety.
• Emergency lighting (BS 5266) where installed must be maintained with a logbook; test certificate dated within 12 months required with application. Fire blankets in all kitchens; extinguishers not normally required.
• Fire alarm test certificate dated within the last 12 months and an EICR dated within the last 5 years required with the application.

• Standards document: 'Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation' produced by the CIEH Sussex Housing Group (October 2015), hosted on midsussex.gov.uk (media/2389/hmo-standards.pdf) and linked as the council's 'Prescribed Standards for HMOs'. Landlords are advised to check with the council as standards may differ where additional or selective schemes exist.
• Washing facilities: 1-4 people - min 1 bathroom and 1 WC (may be combined) with 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 with basins; 11-15 people - 3 bathrooms and 3 separate WCs. Bathroom needs basin (560 x 430 mm) and bath (1700 x 760 mm) or shower (800 x 800 mm), hot and cold water, splashbacks, mechanical extraction 15 l/s, and heating to 22 degrees C.
• Shared kitchens (up to 5 people): fixed impervious sink and drainer (1 per 5 occupiers, 1 per 4 for 6-10), one main cooker with 4 rings, oven and grill (1 per 5; 1 per 4 for 6-10), 6 power points above worktop, constant hot water, mains cold drinking water, 300 mm splashbacks, fridge/freezer, cupboards, refuse facilities, extractor, fire blanket and fire door.
• Kitchen room sizes (shared houses, no dining): 5 m² for 1-3 persons, 6 m² for 4, 7 m² for 5, 9 m² for 6; kitchen/diner 10 m² (1-3) or 11.5 m² (4-6); living/diner 8.5 m² (1-3) or 11 m² (4-6). Officers may accept smaller kitchens where layout works.
• Bathrooms/WCs should be no more than one floor from sleeping accommodation; separate WC compartments need an opening window (1/20th floor area) or 6 l/s extraction.
• Management duties under the HMO Management Regulations 2006 apply; licence conditions set maximum number of occupiers and management arrangements.

• HMO licence application form — Online application (or paper form) completed with declarations, including fit-and-proper-person test and notice to relevant persons; licence holder or manager must apply.
• Licence fee — Fee per the council's fee table by type and number of persons/units (e.g. £957 pre-approval + £468 to issue for a 5-person shared house); must accompany the application.
• Gas safety certificate — Landlord gas safety certificate for all appliances and installations.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — Dated within the last 5 years.
• Fire alarm test certificate — Dated within the last 12 months, for the correct type of alarm system for the property.
• Emergency lighting test certificate — Dated within the last 12 months, if emergency lighting is installed.
• Portable appliance test (PAT) certificate — For any landlord-provided electrical items.
• Sketch plan — Layout showing the position and floor size of each room (bedroom sizes determine permitted occupancy).
• Supporting documents where requested — Application guide says the council may also ask for a portfolio list, planned maintenance programme, planning/building regulations consents and tenancy agreement.

• midsussex.gov.uk
• midsussex.gov.uk
• midsussex.gov.uk
• midsussex.gov.uk
• midsussex.gov.uk

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