East of England
HMO licensing in Stevenage
Stevenage Borough 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 Stevenage (checked September 2026). The published licence fee starts at £930.
Mandatory licence
5+ people, 2+ households
National scheme
Additional / selective
None in force
Mandatory licensing only
Licence fee
From £930
Decision time
Not published
Licensing schemes in Stevenage
Stevenage Borough 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 £930, and £930 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.
The council's own General Fund Fees and Charges schedule sets a single flat fee for 'Licence for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO)' - not a per-person fee. The fee was £897.84 in 2025/26, with a proposed increase to £930.00 for 2026/27 (a 3.58% inflationary rise), as set out in the Cabinet's proposed fees and charges paper. No published instalment plan or separate renewal discount was found; a separate fee of £483.00 (2026/27 proposed, up from £466.46) applies for service of a Housing Act notice.
Check the current fee on the council website (stevenage.gov.uk) before you apply.
Minimum room sizes
| One-person unit, kitchen facilities in the room | 11 m² minimum. |
|---|---|
| One-person unit, kitchen in a separate room (shared or not) | 6.51 m² minimum. |
| Two-or-more-room unit, each bedroom | 6.51 m² minimum. |
| Two-or-more-room unit, each living room | 8.5 m² minimum. |
| Two-or-more-room unit, each living room/kitchen | 10 m² minimum. |
| Two-person unit, one room including kitchen facilities | 16 m² minimum. |
| Two-person unit, one room with separate/shared kitchen | 10.22 m² minimum (statutory national minimum for 2 adults). |
| Child under 10 sleeping alone | Between 4.64 m² and 6.51 m² permitted, provided the room has a window, fixed heating and power sockets, per the council's Amenity Standards. |
| Ceiling height | Minimum 2.13 m floor-to-ceiling height for habitable rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and toilet compartments; for sloped ceilings, 2.13 m must be achieved over at least half the floor area, and any area under 1.5 m high is excluded from the calculation. |
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
- The property must have an adequately protected means of escape from fire, plus detection/warning system and emergency lighting to the satisfaction of the inspecting officer, per the council's 'Guide to Fire Precautions in Houses in Multiple Occupation'.
- Fire-fighting equipment and fire alarms must be maintained in good working order at all times (Management of HMOs (England) Regulations 2006, reg. 4).
- Means of escape from fire must be kept free from obstruction and maintained in good order and repair.
- Notices indicating the location of fire escape routes must be displayed where clearly visible to occupiers (not required in HMOs with 4 or fewer occupiers).
- Furniture and furnishings supplied to tenants must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988, as a condition of the HMO licence.
Kitchen, bathroom and amenity standards
- Washing facilities: 1 bathroom with wash basin and bath/shower for up to 5 sharers; 2 bathrooms for 6-10 sharers; 1 separate toilet with wash basin per 5 sharing occupiers where there are 5 or more occupiers.
- Toilets: 1 toilet (can be in the bathroom) for 1-4 occupiers; separate toilet for 5 occupiers; 2 toilets for 6-8; 2 toilets (1 separate) for 9-10; 3 toilets (1 separate, or a 4th toilet) for 11+.
- Kitchens: 1-5 occupiers need 1 full-size cooker (4 rings, oven, grill), 1 sink (500mm x 600mm) at a ratio of 1 per 5 occupiers; 6-10 occupiers need 2 full-size cookers or 1 cooker plus microwaves, and a double-bowl sink or dishwasher.
- Kitchen worktop: minimum 500mm x 1500mm per 5 occupiers, with at least one continuous run of 1000mm, plus 4 power sockets per 5 occupiers above the worktop.
- Kitchens must be mechanically ventilated (extractor fan/cooker hood) providing at least 1 air change per hour, vented directly outside.
- Heating must maintain 21°C in bedsitting rooms, 22°C in bathrooms and 18°C elsewhere when it is -1°C outside; portable paraffin, oil-fired or LPG (bottled gas) heaters are prohibited under any circumstances.
- Electrical sockets: 4 sockets in living rooms and bedrooms/studies, 2 sockets in a bedroom within a multi-room letting, and 3+3 sockets in bedsits with cooking facilities.
- Fixed electrical installations must be inspected and certified at intervals not exceeding 5 years; portable appliances tested at least every 5 years with annual visual inspection.
- Gas appliances require an annual safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with a copy of the certificate given to each tenant and, for licensed HMOs, sent to the council.
- 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, or a whole-house ventilation system with room-by-room control.
Documents you will need
- Gas safety certificate (CP12) — Annual safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer for all gas appliances/flues; copy given to each tenant and to the council if licensed.
- EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report, required at intervals not exceeding 5 years.
- PAT certificate — Portable appliance testing at least every 5 years, with annual/change-of-tenancy visual inspection.
- Fire risk assessment/fire precautions evidence — Evidence of compliance with the council's 'Guide to Fire Precautions in Houses in Multiple Occupation'.
- Furniture safety compliance — Confirmation that upholstered furniture supplied to tenants meets the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988.
- EPC — Valid Energy Performance Certificate for the property.
Sources
Compiled from the council’s own published pages and documents; data reviewed September 2026. Rules and fees change, so always confirm with Stevenage Borough Council before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.