North West
HMO licensing in Preston
Preston City 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 Preston (checked September 2026). The published licence fee starts at £882.
Mandatory licence
5+ people, 2+ households
National scheme
Additional / selective
None in force
Mandatory licensing only
Licence fee
From £882
Decision time
Not published
Licensing schemes in Preston
Preston City Council is consulting on a new selective licensing scheme covering all privately rented homes (including single-household lets, two-sharer properties and smaller HMOs not already under mandatory licensing) in the City Centre, St Matthew's and Plungington wards. The consultation runs from 27 July 2026 to 11:59pm on 11 October 2026; no start date or fee is confirmed until the council decides.
- Announced
- 27 July 2026
- Consultation closes
- 11 October 2026
Verified 24 September 2026
Licence fees
The published fee for a new HMO licence is £882. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.
The fee for a standard 5-year mandatory HMO licence is £882 in total, split into a non-refundable initial application fee of £150 and a balance of £732 payable once the licence is ready to be issued. An additional £129 charge applies for unreasonable failure to apply for renewal by the appropriate date, and a £119 charge applies if the council has to chase an incomplete application, bringing the total in those cases to £1,011.
Check the current fee on the council website (preston.gov.uk) before you apply.
Minimum room sizes
| Single bedroom (10+ years) | 6.51 m² minimum floor area for one person over 10 years old (Preston City Council HMO Licence Conditions). |
|---|---|
| Double bedroom (10+ years) | 10.22 m² minimum floor area for two persons over 10 years old (Preston City Council HMO Licence Conditions). |
| Child's bedroom (under 10 years) | 4.64 m² minimum floor area for one child under 10; rooms below 4.64 m² cannot be used for sleeping at all, and ceiling heights under 1.5m don't count toward the minimum area (Preston City Council HMO Licence Conditions). |
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
- Annual fire alarm and emergency lighting inspection certificates are required.
- A fire alarm system compliant with guidance standards must be professionally installed.
- Weekly fire alarm testing with documented logs is required.
- Annual fire risk assessments must be reviewed and submitted to the council.
- Thirty-minute fire-rated doors are required from rooms with fire risks to staircases.
- Interior fire separations (walls, floors, lobbies) must be rated for a minimum of thirty minutes.
- Exit signage and emergency lighting must be provided as determined by the fire risk assessment.
- A displayed fire safety plan for tenant guidance is required.
Kitchen, bathroom and amenity standards
- Adequate refuse storage is required, preventing exposed waste for longer than 12 hours.
- Heating systems must maintain 19°C in all living areas when the outdoor temperature reaches -1°C, with tenant-controlled access.
- Annual gas safety, portable appliance testing and electrical installation certificates are required.
- All utilities and equipment must be functional and in good working order.
- Electricity meter arrangements must not allow the landlord/supplier to profit from resale.
Documents you will need
- HMO application form — Completed and signed.
- Floor plans — Showing room layout, uses and dimensions.
- Gas safety certificate (CP12) — Current, for every gas appliance in the property.
- EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report, current.
- PAT testing records — Current portable appliance test records.
- DBS certificate — For the licence holder/manager, valid within 28 days of issuance.
- Tenancy agreements — Copies of agreements used at the property.
- Fire risk assessment — Current, reviewed annually.
Sources
Compiled from the council’s own published pages and documents; data reviewed September 2026. Rules and fees change, so always confirm with Preston City Council before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.