South East
HMO licensing in Mole Valley
Mole Valley District 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 Mole Valley (checked September 2026). The published licence fee starts at £818.85.
Mandatory licence
5+ people, 2+ households
National scheme
Additional / selective
None in force
Mandatory licensing only
Licence fee
From £818.85
Decision time
Not published
Licensing schemes in Mole Valley
Mole Valley 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.
Licence fees
The published fee for a new HMO licence is £818.85, and £818.85 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.
Mole Valley's own HMO page states: 'A fee of £818.85 will be payable to obtain a licence, a discount of £50 is applicable for those who are members of a recognised nation[al] landlord's association.' This is a single flat fee for the licence (the council does not publish a separately-labelled 'renewal' fee on this page - the same fee and process appear to apply to new grants and renewals alike). No instalment option is published. The council's shared 'Amenity Standards' guide (with Tandridge District Council) references applying via GOV.UK but does not itemise fees further.
Check the current fee on the council website (molevalley.gov.uk) before you apply.
Minimum room sizes
| Single bedroom | 6.51 m² to 10.21 m² usable floor area for one person (Mole Valley/Tandridge shared-service 'Amenity Standards Houses in Multiple Occupation' guide, V2, revised January 2025). |
|---|---|
| Double bedroom | 10.22 m² or over required for occupation by two persons (same source). |
| Child under 10 | 4.64 m² to 6.5 m² may be occupied by a child under 10, only if let/occupied together with an adjacent room of 6.51 m²+ for a parent/guardian; the guide separately states no room may be used as sleeping accommodation if its floor area is less than 4.63 m² (as printed in the source document). |
| Notes | Figures are council-specific, taken directly from Mole Valley District Council's own published 'Amenity Standards - Houses in Multiple Occupation' PDF (produced jointly with Tandridge District Council's shared Environmental Health & Licensing Service), and are consistent with the national HMO space standard under the Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018 (SI 2018/616). |
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
- Licence holder must prepare or commission a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) for every HMO, per the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
- For higher-risk shared houses/bedsits (individual contracts, shared kitchens): 30-minute fire doors with intumescent strips, smoke seals and self-closers on risk rooms (living/dining rooms, kitchens, basements, letting rooms); Grade D LD1 mains-wired interlinked smoke alarm system in all letting rooms, living/dining rooms and basements, plus mains-wired interlinked heat alarm in the kitchen; fire blanket in the kitchen; final exit and bedroom doors need locks openable from inside without a key.
- For low-risk shared houses (joint-contract, e.g. student housing): 30-minute fire doors to kitchens with intumescent strips and cold smoke seals; Grade D LD2 interlinked alarm system with smoke detectors on escape routes at all levels and a heat alarm in the kitchen.
- Fire alarm and emergency lighting systems must be tested and maintained to British Standards: Grade D systems tested weekly, detectors cleaned annually; Grade A systems inspected/serviced at least every 6 months to BS 5839-1:2013 with a certificate issued by a competent person; emergency lighting fully tested/serviced annually to BS 5266 by a competent person.
- Basement and attic letting rooms are subject to additional fire-safety, room-height, lighting and ventilation requirements, including secondary means of escape where the primary route passes through a kitchen or living room.
Kitchen, bathroom and amenity standards
- Baths/showers: at least one to every five persons sharing (Licensing and Management of HMOs and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006).
- Toilets: one toilet (may be in the bathroom) for 4 or fewer sharing occupiers; for 5+ sharing occupiers, one separate toilet with wash-hand basin for every five occupiers, plus one bathroom with fixed bath/shower for every five occupiers. Where a child under 10 lives at the property, a bath must be provided (not shower only).
- Kitchens: minimum size 7 m² for 3-5 people, 10 m² for 6-10 people (Mole Valley/Tandridge shared-service standard), with a complete set of kitchen facilities (sink, 4-ring cooker, 3 double sockets, 1000mm x 600mm worktop, food storage, 130L fridge + 60L freezer, 50L refuse bin) provided per 5 persons, maximum two sets per kitchen; kitchen width must be at least 1.8m.
- Room-specific kitchenettes/bedsits require: 2-ring hob minimum, 130L fridge/freezer, food storage cupboard per occupant, worktop at least 500mm x 1000mm, mechanical ventilation at 60 l/s (or 30 l/s if fan sited within 300mm of hob centre).
Documents you will need
- Gas safety certificate — Valid gas safety certificate for the HMO, where applicable.
- Fire detection certificate — Valid fire detection commissioning certificate for new installations, or a valid fire detection servicing certificate for existing installations, where applicable.
- Emergency lighting certificate — Valid emergency lighting certificate, where applicable.
- Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — Valid electrical fixed installation certificate.
- Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — Valid EPC for the property.
- Fire Risk Assessment — Prepared or commissioned by the licence holder for every HMO, per the council's shared-service Amenity Standards guide.
Sources
Compiled from the council’s own published pages and documents; data reviewed September 2026. Rules and fees change, so always confirm with Mole Valley District Council before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.