HMO licensing in St Albans City and

St Albans City and 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 £1,035, and £1,035 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

St Albans states on its own website that it 'only have mandatory licensing of HMOs' (no Additional or Selective scheme). The fee for processing an HMO licence application is £207 per person living in the property, subject to a minimum fee of £1,035 (i.e. the minimum covers up to 5 occupants, with £207 added per occupant above that). The council operates 'no tacit consent' (applications are not automatically approved if undetermined). A separate fee of £230 applies to vary an existing licence. No instalment plan or discounted renewal rate is published; the figures above apply equally to new applications and renewals.

Check the current fee on the council website (stalbans.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.

• Self-closing FD30S (30-minute fire and smoke rated) fire doors required on all bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms, with cold smoke seals and intumescent strips.
• Bedroom fire doors and final exit doors must have thumb-turn/Yale-type locks openable from the inside without a key, complying with BS 3621 or BS 1303.
• A fire blanket to BS 1869:1997 must be mounted in the kitchen, wall-mounted 1.5 m high, away from the cooking facility.
• Automatic fire detection required: two-storey HMOs need a system to BS 5839 Part 6 Grade D1, LD2 (or equivalent); three-or-more-storey HMOs need Grade A, LD2 (or equivalent), with a heat detector in the kitchen and smoke detectors in every bedroom, escape route and communal living room, hard-wired and interlinked.
• Suitable and sufficient emergency lighting must cover the protected escape route, certified to BS 5266.
• A written fire risk assessment is required, reviewed annually or at each change of tenancy, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
• Carbon monoxide detectors required in any room with a combustion appliance (mandatory where a solid fuel appliance is present).
• Glazing on escape routes and adjacent to staircases must meet 30-minute fire resistance and BS 6206:1981 safety standards.
• Fire precaution electrics must not run through pre-payment/coin meters; supply must be under the landlord/manager's control.

• Washing facilities: 1 bathroom (with wash basin, bath or shower) for up to 5 sharers; 2 bathrooms for 6-10 sharers; an additional bathroom per further 5 occupiers above 10.
• Toilets: 1 toilet for 1-4 occupiers (can be in the bathroom); 1 toilet separate from the bathroom for 5 occupiers; 2 toilets for 6-8; 2 toilets (1 separate from any bathroom) for 9-10; 3 toilets (1 separate) for 11-16.
• Kitchens: full set of facilities required per 5 occupants - 1-5 occupants need 1 full-size cooker (4 rings, oven, grill), 1 sink (min 500mm x 600mm) and 1 fridge/freezer; 6 occupants add a combination microwave and dishwasher or double sink; 7-10 occupants need 2 of each.
• Kitchen worktop: minimum 600mm depth x 500mm length per occupier for food preparation, plus dry-goods storage (one 400mm x 400mm cupboard per occupant).
• Kitchen sockets: 6 power outlets per 5 occupiers sited above worktops, plus a dedicated outlet per major appliance.
• Bedroom/living room sockets: minimum 4 double sockets per bedroom, study or living room.
• Heating must maintain 21°C in living rooms, 18°C in bedrooms/kitchen/hall and 22°C in bathrooms when it is -1°C outside; portable paraffin, fan or LPG heaters are prohibited.
• Natural lighting equivalent to at least 1/10 of a habitable room's floor area; ventilation (openable window) equivalent to at least 1/20 of the floor area.
• Fixed electrical installations must be inspected at least every 5 years (EICR) and gas appliances inspected annually, per the Management of HMOs (England) Regulations 2006.
• Adequate refuse/recycling bin provision must comply with the council's waste storage and disposal scheme, a mandatory licence condition since 2018.
• Properties with an EPC rating of F or below must not be let unless improved to E or above, or a registered exemption applies.

• Gas safety certificate (CP12) — Annual safety check of all gas appliances/flues; a copy must be given to each tenant at the start of their tenancy.
• EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report, required at intervals not exceeding 5 years.
• PAT certificate — Portable Appliance Test certificate, required annually for portable electrical appliances.
• Fire alarm test certificate — Annual test/inspection certificate for the automatic fire detection system.
• Emergency lighting test certificate — Annual certificate confirming emergency lighting complies with BS 5266.
• Fire risk assessment — Written assessment covering escape routes and fire precautions, reviewed annually or at each change of tenancy.
• Legionella risk assessment — Required for all licensed HMOs under the landlord's duty of care.
• EPC — Valid Energy Performance Certificate; property must be rated E or above (or hold a registered exemption).

• stalbans.gov.uk
• stalbans.gov.uk

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