South East
HMO licensing in Surrey Heath
Surrey Heath 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 Surrey Heath (checked September 2026). The published licence fee starts at £896.20.
Mandatory licence
5+ people, 2+ households
National scheme
Additional / selective
None in force
Mandatory licensing only
Licence fee
From £896.20
Decision time
Not published
Licensing schemes in Surrey Heath
Surrey Heath 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 £896.20. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.
The council HMO page (checked September 2026) publishes a single flat fee of £896.20 for a HMO licence, or £773.70 for members of any nationally recognised landlord accreditation scheme or association (a discount of £122.50, about 13.7%). The licence is valid for five years. No occupancy- or bedroom-based scaling is published. The page has separate online forms for a new licence and for relicensing but does not state a separate renewal fee, so renewalGbp is null rather than assumed (the single stated fee is described as 'must be renewed every five years'). No instalment option is published. Confirmation of landlord accreditation must accompany the application if not accredited at the time of the last licence application or it has changed.
Check the current fee on the council website (surreyheath.gov.uk) before you apply.
Minimum room sizes
| Single bedroom | Council-specific (HMO Information Sheet): one person over 10 in a bedroom with separate shared kitchen and living room: 6.51 m2 (this equals the national statutory minimum, SI 2018/616). One-room unit with bedroom/living room and separate shared kitchen: 10.22 m2; one-room bedroom/kitchen/living unit: 13.0 m2. In multi-room single-person units: bedroom 6.51 m2, living room 9.0 m2, living/kitchen 11.0 m2. |
|---|---|
| Double bedroom | Council-specific / statutory: 10.22 m2 for two persons over 10 in one bedroom (mandatory licence condition, SI 2018/616). Two-person units: bedroom/kitchen/living room 15.0 m2; bedroom/living room with separate shared kitchen 14.0 m2; bedroom with separate shared kitchen and living room 10.22 m2; in multi-room units each bedroom 10.0 m2, living room 12.0 m2, living/kitchen 15.0 m2. |
| Child under 10 | 4.64 m2 for one person aged under 10 (statutory licence condition per the council information sheet, from SI 2018/616); any room under 4.64 m2 must not be used for sleeping and must be notified to the council. |
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
- Means of escape from fire and other fire precautions as the council considers necessary after consultation with Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, with reference to the LACORS fire safety guidance; the information sheet gives no fixed detection grade or fire-door specification.
- Kitchens must have, where necessary, fire detection and alarm systems, fire blankets, fire doors and extractor fans over cooking areas.
- Manager must commission a full Fire Risk Assessment, implement all recommendations and review it annually or on significant change; a reviewed FRA copy is required with the application.
- Fire detection and alarm system, emergency lighting and fire-fighting equipment must be inspected by a competent person annually, with certificates supplied to the council within 7 days of request.
- Gas appliances inspected annually by a Gas Safe engineer; fixed electrical installation tested at intervals not exceeding 5 years; landlord-supplied electrical appliances PAT tested every 12 months.
Kitchen, bathroom and amenity standards
- One toilet with wash hand basin (with splashback) per five sharing occupiers; where five people share a toilet it must be separate from the bathroom (it can be in a second bathroom); above five sharing there must be at least one toilet separate from the bathrooms.
- At least one bathroom with a fixed bath or shower per five sharing occupiers; bathrooms adequately heated and ventilated with constant hot water and cold water suitable for drinking at hand basins.
- Where there are five or more tenants and it is reasonably practicable, each unit of accommodation must contain a wash hand basin (may be dispensed with if the letting has a food-preparation sink); otherwise basins at a ratio of at least one per five sharing.
- Kitchen: one set of facilities per 5 individuals (or per 3 lettings where households of more than one person). Each set: fixed sink with constant hot and cold drinking water and a drainer; four-ring cooker with oven and grill; minimum 1.2 m2 of worktop (500mm minimum depth); at least 2 power points per letting plus one extra per additional letting sharing; 0.16 m2 of cupboard space per person; refrigerator space of 0.15 m2 per person plus frozen storage.
- Adequate fixed whole-house space heating for each unit of living accommodation; no habitable room may be occupied by more than two persons; adequate refuse storage and compliance with the council household waste scheme.
Documents you will need
- Reviewed Fire Risk Assessment — Copy of a reviewed Fire Safety Risk Assessment (reviewed annually or after any significant change).
- Gas safety certificate — Annual gas safety certificate.
- Electrical installation certificate (EICR) — Landlord's periodic electrical safety inspection certificate covering the whole installation (power and lighting circuits), every five years.
- Fire detection and alarm system test certificate — Annual test certificate.
- Fire extinguisher test certificate — Annual test certificate or proof of purchase of new appliances.
- Emergency lighting test certificate — Annual test certificate.
- PAT evidence — Portable appliance testing evidence, only where electrical appliances are supplied with the accommodation (annual).
- Police conviction/caution history — Prosecution, convictions and cautions history from Surrey Police or other UK force, only where the self-declaration of criminal record includes a relevant offence.
- Energy Performance Certificate — EPC for the dwelling, only if more than ten years since last assessment.
- Asbestos survey — If applicable.
- Refurbishment details — Details of refurbishments, rewiring etc., if applicable.
- Landlord accreditation confirmation — Needed to claim the accredited-landlord fee (£773.70) if not accredited at the time of the last licence application or if it has changed.
Sources
Compiled from the council’s own published pages and documents; data reviewed September 2026. Rules and fees change, so always confirm with Surrey Heath Borough Council before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.