HMO licensing in Stroud

Stroud 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 £1,398, and £1,398 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Fee confirmed on Stroud District Council's own 'Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMO)' page: 'The mandatory HMO licensing fee is £1398 for a 5 year licence per property.' Paid in two parts: an initial non-refundable payment of £403 must accompany the application; the remaining £995 must be paid prior to the issue of the licence (if approved). The page does not state a separate, lower renewal fee - the same £1398 figure appears to apply to both new applications and renewals (5-year licence). No accredited-landlord discount or reduced renewal rate is mentioned anywhere on the council's page.

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

• Fire precautions must be provided in accordance with the LACoRS 'Housing - Fire Safety' guidance (Stroud District Council, HMO Standards document).
• Shared accommodation (not bedsits): a Category LD3 Grade A or D fire detection system to BS 5839 Part 6:2013 is required (Grade A required for properties occupied by 7+ persons; a Category LD2 Grade A system is required for 5-6 storey properties). Interlinked smoke detection is normally required in circulation areas at each floor level, heat detection in kitchens, and smoke detection in lounges and any cellar; a sound level of 75dBA must be reached at bedheads (Stroud District Council, HMO Standards document).
• Bedsit accommodation: a Category LD2 Grade A or D fire detection system to BS 5839 Part 6:2013 is required (Grade A required for 7+ persons or 3+ storey properties), with heat detection in kitchens and bedsits with cooking facilities, smoke detection in bedsits without cooking facilities, shared lounges and any cellar, plus an additional non-interlinked Grade D smoke detector with battery back-up in bedsits with cooking facilities (Stroud District Council, HMO Standards document).
• 3 and 4 storey HMOs require an emergency lighting system to BS 5266:1:2011. A fire blanket conforming to BS EN 1869:1997 is required in each shared kitchen, and a fire door conforming to BS 476-22:1987 for each shared kitchen (a sound, well-constructed, close-fitting conventional door is acceptable for up to 2-storey non-bedsit HMOs, but hollow infill/'egg box' doors are never accepted). All locks on doors onto the means of escape and final exit doors must be openable from the inside without a key (Stroud District Council, HMO Standards document).
• Buildings converted entirely into self-contained flats must follow the LACoRS 'Housing - Fire Safety' guidance rather than the shared-house/bedsit table (Stroud District Council, HMO Standards document).
• Application documentation must include: a floor plan showing accurate dimensions of all rooms and the position of fire precautions and smoke/heat detectors; the current certificate of compliance and testing for any Grade A fire alarm system installed; the current certificate of compliance for any emergency lighting; and a Fire Risk Assessment for the property reviewed within the last year (Stroud District Council, HMO licensing page).

• Baths/showers and toilets (shared use): 4 or fewer occupiers sharing = at least 1 fixed bath/shower and 1 toilet (may be in the bathroom); 5+ occupiers sharing = at least 1 fixed bath/shower per 5 occupants (or part of) plus at least 1 toilet separate from the bathroom per 5 occupants (or part of), or a further complete bathroom in place of the separate toilet. Full scaling table published up to 20 persons (Stroud District Council, HMO Standards document).
• Wash hand basins must be provided within each individual unit of accommodation or within each shared bathroom/toilet compartment. Bathrooms need mechanical ventilation to outside air at minimum 15 litres/second extraction (plus any windows); separate toilets need a window of at least 1/20th of floor area or 6 litres/second mechanical extraction, plus a fixed heating appliance in each bath/shower room (Stroud District Council, HMO Standards document).
• Kitchens (shared use): a sink with constant hot/cold water, draining board and tiled splashback per 5 occupants (dishwasher counts as second sink); a cooker with 4-ring hob, oven and grill per 5 occupants (a 27-litre combination microwave/oven/grill acceptable as a second cooker); fixed worktop(s) at least 500mm x 1000mm per 5 occupants; a 0.3 m³ dry-goods storage cupboard per occupier; 2 worktop-height fridge/freezers (or 1 fridge + 1 freezer) per 5 occupants; mechanical ventilation to outside air at 60 litres/second (or 30 litres/second if the fan is within 300mm of the hob centre) (Stroud District Council, HMO Standards document).
• Four suitably positioned electric sockets are required in each kitchen plus one per major appliance. A fixed, efficient heating appliance capable of maintaining 21°C (at an outside temperature of -1°C) is required in each unit of living accommodation, under the occupier's control and available at all times (Stroud District Council, HMO Standards document).
• All personal washing/toilet and kitchen facilities must be located within 2 floors of any bedroom they serve, accessible from communal areas (unless en-suite for exclusive use), and inside the building. Standards also cover self-contained-flat and hostel configurations separately, with distinct room-size and facility tables (Stroud District Council, HMO Standards document).

• Completed HMO application form — Apply online via GOV.UK, or download and complete the Word/PDF form for postal/email submission to environmental.health@stroud.gov.uk (opens in Adobe Reader). Must be accompanied by the £403 initial fee - without this the application will not be validated.
• Floor plan — Showing accurate dimensions of all rooms and the position of fire precautions and smoke/heat detectors.
• Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) — Current certificate, where applicable.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — Current report.
• Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) schedule — Schedule showing the last PAT carried out on electrical equipment/appliances provided by the landlord.
• Grade A fire alarm system compliance certificate — Current certificate of compliance and testing, where a Grade A fire alarm system is installed.
• Emergency lighting compliance certificate — Current certificate of compliance, where emergency lighting is installed in the HMO.
• Fire Risk Assessment — For the property, reviewed within the last year.

• stroud.gov.uk
• stroud.gov.uk
• gov.uk

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