South West
HMO licensing in Swindon
Swindon 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 Swindon (checked September 2026). The published licence fee starts at £1,474.11 (£1,193.33 to renew).
Mandatory licence
5+ people, 2+ households
National scheme
Additional / selective
None in force
Mandatory licensing only
Licence fee
From £1,474.11
Renewal £1,193.33
Decision time
About 9 weeks
The council's stated aim
Licensing schemes in Swindon
Swindon 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 £1,474.11, and £1,193.33 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.
Fees quoted are for 2026-2027 (effective from 1 April 2026), for HMOs with up to 10 occupants, applied for online (cheaper than paper applications because processing time is reduced). Fee is split into a non-refundable initial payment and a final payment due before the licence is issued. Higher fees apply for HMOs with more than 10 occupants (online total £1,684.70; paper total £1,965.48). Paper application for up to 10 occupants totals £1,755.18. No accredited-landlord discount is mentioned on the council's HMO pages.
Check the current fee on the council website (swindon.gov.uk) before you apply.
Minimum room sizes
| Single bedroom | 6.51 m² (national statutory minimum fallback - not specified in council-published documents found; per Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018) |
|---|---|
| Double bedroom | 10.22 m² (national statutory minimum fallback - not specified in council-published documents found; per Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018) |
| Child under 10 | 4.64 m² (national statutory minimum fallback - not specified in council-published documents found; per Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018) |
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
- Valid fire detection/alarm certificate required as part of licence application
- Fire safety risk assessment required as part of licence application
- Specific prescriptive fire safety standards (e.g. door/escape route specifications) were not found published on the council's HMO web pages at the time of research; the council references central and local government guidance documents by HMO category (shared houses/bedsits, converted flat blocks, hostels/B&Bs, lodgings with resident landlords) which were not directly accessible during this research pass
Kitchen, bathroom and amenity standards
- Council references category-specific living standards guidance for: shared houses and bedsits; converted blocks of flats; hostels and bed & breakfast establishments; and lodgings with resident landlords, but specific kitchen/bathroom provision ratios were not found published in accessible form during this research pass
- All licensed HMOs must comply with the council's 'Minimum management regulations guide' referenced on the HMO licensing page
Documents you will need
- Gas safety certificate — Valid, current gas safety certificate required with application
- Electrical safety certificate — Valid, current electrical installation condition report required with application
- Fire detection certificate — Valid fire detection/alarm system certificate required with application
- Fire safety risk assessment — Required as part of the application
- Proof of ownership/control — Title documents proving legal control of the property required with application
Sources
Compiled from the council’s own published pages and documents; data reviewed September 2026. Rules and fees change, so always confirm with Swindon Borough Council before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.