South East
HMO licensing in South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire 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 South Oxfordshire (checked September 2026). The published licence fee starts at £1,034.
Mandatory licence
5+ people, 2+ households
National scheme
Additional / selective
None in force
Mandatory licensing only
Licence fee
From £1,034
Decision time
Not published
Licensing schemes in South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire 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 £1,034, and £1,034 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.
South Oxfordshire's own HMO page publishes a fee table that scales by number of bedrooms, split into a Part One (application) fee and a Part Two (issue) fee, covering the full 5-year licence period: up to 5 bedrooms £620 + £414 = £1,034 total; 6 bedrooms £644 + £429 = £1,073; 7 bedrooms £667 + £445 = £1,112; 8 bedrooms £691 + £460 = £1,151; 9 bedrooms £714 + £476 = £1,190; 10 bedrooms £737 + £492 = £1,229. The council states: 'All fees are set locally by the council, reviewed annually and cover the five year licence period.' No separate/discounted renewal fee is published - the same scaling table appears to apply to both new grants and renewals since there is a single 5-year cycle. No accredited-landlord discount is published, and no instalment option is mentioned. Additional HMO advice visits are charged separately at £196. Figures below use the 'up to 5 bedrooms' band (£1,034) as the representative fee for both totalGbp and renewalGbp, since no distinct renewal figure is published.
Check the current fee on the council website (southoxon.gov.uk) before you apply.
Minimum room sizes
| Single bedroom | 6.51 m² minimum floor area for one person aged over 10 years. |
|---|---|
| Double bedroom | 10.22 m² minimum floor area for two people aged over 10 years. |
| Child under 10 | 4.64 m² minimum floor area for one person aged under 10 years; rooms below 4.64 m² must not be used as bedrooms in any circumstances. |
| Notes | Council-specific figures taken directly from South Oxfordshire (and Vale of White Horse) District Council's own 'South & Vale HMO Standards' PDF (April 2024), which match the national statutory minimums under SI 2018/616. The same document sets minimum combined kitchen/living space requirements scaled by occupancy (e.g. for houses without a separate living room: 3-5 occupants need 7 m² kitchen + a living space option of either an 11 m² separate living room or an 18 m² combined kitchen/living room including 7 m² kitchen area; 6-10 occupants scale up to 10m2 kitchen with 14m2/24m2 living-room options), and separate self-contained-flat minimums (one-person bedroom/sitting room/kitchen 14 m²; two-person 18 m²; kitchen in a 1-2 person flat at least 4 m²). |
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
- Low-risk shared houses: kitchen doors must be 30-minute fire doors (FD30) with heat/smoke seals and self-closer; wall-mounted fire blanket in kitchens; Grade D LD2 fire alarm system with smoke alarms at all levels and a heat alarm in the kitchen, all mains-wired and interlinked.
- High-risk shared houses (e.g. let on separate tenancies/bedsit-style occupation): bedroom doors, kitchen doors and other risk-room doors must be FD30 fire doors with heat/smoke seals and self-closers; Grade A LD2 fire alarm system with smoke alarms at all levels and heat alarm in kitchens, mains-wired and interlinked, plus additional interlinked smoke alarms in bedrooms/living rooms and additional Grade D smoke alarms where specified.
- High-risk bedsit properties: living-room and basement/cellar doors must be 30-minute fire doors (FD30) with heat/smoke seals and self-closers; Grade D LD2 (or Grade A LD2 for higher-risk configurations) fire alarm system with smoke alarms at all levels and heat alarm in communal kitchens, mains-wired and interlinked; additional interlinked heat alarms in each bedsit and standalone smoke alarms as specified.
- General/all HMOs: understairs cupboards and cupboards on the escape route require 30-minute (FD30S) fire doors with heat/smoke seals and an interlinked smoke detector (or equivalent per storey count); final exit doors and bedroom door locks (where provided) must have locks openable from the inside without a key.
Kitchen, bathroom and amenity standards
- Washing/toilet sharing ratios (South & Vale HMO Standards, matching the national Schedule 3 requirements): 1-4 occupants - one bathroom and one toilet with wash basin (may be combined); 5-10 occupants - one bathroom and one separate toilet with wash basin (toilet may be in a second bathroom); 11-15 occupants - a bathroom with bath/shower plus separate toilet, and a second bathroom with bath/shower, plus a separate toilet+basin (minimum two bathrooms, two separate toilets with wash basins, one toilet may be within a bathroom); above that, three bathrooms and three separate toilets with wash basins (two of the toilets may be within bathrooms). A complete en-suite (bath/shower, toilet, wash basin) for exclusive use disregards that occupant from the shared-facility count.
- Minimum dimensions: shower 800mm x 800mm (activity space 900mm x 700mm); bath 1700mm x 700mm; basin in a toilet cubicle: hand-wash size only, with 800mm x 600mm activity space. Room-layout dimension combinations are also specified for shower+basin (2000mm x 900mm), bath+basin (1700mm x 1600mm), shower+toilet+basin (1900mm x 1700mm) and bath+toilet+basin (2000mm x 1700mm).
- Kitchen facilities: minimum usable floor area of 7 m² for 3-5 occupants, 10 m² for 6-10 occupants; all kitchens must be at least 1.8m wide; kitchens must be available for use 24 hours a day and equipped with a complete set of facilities (sink, cooker, worktop, storage, fridge/freezer, sockets, refuse disposal) scaled to occupant numbers per the document's kitchen facilities sharing-ratio table.
- Bedsits: fire detection requires an interlinked heat alarm with integral battery back-up in each bedsit plus an additional non-interlinked smoke alarm with integral battery back-up in each bedsit; kitchens within bedsits below 8.5 m² room size may be restricted or judged a hazard under HHSRS.
Documents you will need
- Proof of address for the licence holder — Utility bill or council tax bill.
- Proof of ID for the licence holder — Passport or driving licence.
- Landlord's Gas Safety Report — Current, within the last 12 months.
- Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — Current, within the last 5 years.
- Portable Appliance Test (PAT) certificate — Current, within the last 12 months.
- Fire safety risk assessment — Produced by a competent person and updated every 5 years.
- Fire alarm system commissioning or test certificate — Current, within the last 12 months.
- Emergency lighting test certificate — Current, within the last 12 months, if applicable.
- Service contract for alarm and safety systems — If applicable.
- Building regulations completion certificates and planning consents — If applicable.
- Tenancy agreement — Copy of the agreement provided to tenants.
- Mortgage details — Letter from mortgage provider or latest mortgage statement, if the property is mortgaged.
- Floor plan — Clearly showing the layout, including room use, room sizes and location of fire precautions.
- Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — If available.
Sources
Compiled from the council’s own published pages and documents; data reviewed September 2026. Rules and fees change, so always confirm with South Oxfordshire District Council before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.