West Midlands

HMO licensing in Tamworth

Tamworth 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 Tamworth (checked September 2026). The published licence fee starts at £698.

Mandatory licence

5+ people, 2+ households

National scheme

Additional / selective

None in force

Mandatory licensing only

Licence fee

From £698

Decision time

Not published

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Licensing schemes in Tamworth

Proposed

Additional licensing

Tamworth consulted from 20 May to 20 August 2026 on a proposed borough-wide additional licensing scheme for smaller HMOs with three or four occupants (forming two or more households). The consultation has closed and no decision or start date has been published yet.

Announced: 20 May 2026
Consultation closes: 20 August 2026

Council source

Verified 24 September 2026

Licence fees

The published fee for a new HMO licence is £698. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

2026/2027 licence fees for online applications are paid in two stages. 5 persons: Stage 1 (application) £318 + Stage 2 (licence) £380 = £698. 6-10 persons: £357 + £421 = £778. 11+ persons: £397 + £461 = £858. An optional initial advisory visit costs £118; if a full application follows, the Stage 1 fee is reduced by £50. The council's fee page does not publish a separate renewal fee, does not describe an accredited-landlord discount, and does not say whether the table also applies to renewals (renewals are requested via the same application route), so renewalGbp is null. Fees scale by occupancy band. totalGbp shows the 5-person band (the smallest licensable size); instalments show its Stage 1 and Stage 2 amounts.

Check the current fee on the council website (tamworth.gov.uk) before you apply.

Minimum room sizes

Single bedroom	Tamworth's own HMO Standards guide (revised July 2018) sets a local standard for shared houses (Category B): 10 m2 for one person where there is only a shared kitchen, or 6.5 m2 where a separate shared living room of the minimum size is also provided. The guide also restates the national minimum of 6.51 m2 for one person over 10 (SI 2018/616), which is the legal floor.
Double bedroom	Local Category B standard: 15 m2 for two persons, or 11 m2 where a separate shared living room is provided. National legal minimum (fallback floor, SI 2018/616): 10.22 m2 for two persons over 10. No room may be occupied by more than two persons.
Child under 10	4.64 m2 for one child under 10 (national minimum per SI 2018/616, restated in Tamworth's HMO Standards guide; no separate local figure found). Landlords must tell the council of any sleeping room smaller than 4.64 m2.

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

Tamworth's HMO Standards guide expressly excludes fire standards and points to the LACORS guidance 'Housing - Fire Safety' (Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing); each case is assessed individually, in consultation with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service where relevant, and landlords must have regard to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Licence conditions include installing and maintaining smoke alarms (council HMO page) and sending an updated gas safety certificate every year.
Management Regulations 2006 (Reg 4) as summarised by the council: keep fire doors in good condition and self-closing, keep escape routes clear and signed (five or more occupants), test fire detection/warning and emergency lighting regularly (monthly by landlord plus annual test by a competent person for most small and medium HMOs), and maintain any fire-fighting equipment provided.
Private Sector Housing contact for fire-precaution queries: privatehousing@tamworth.gov.uk or 01827 709372.

Kitchen, bathroom and amenity standards

Kitchens (shared houses): a conventional cooker (4 hobs, oven, grill) for every 5 persons (for up to 7 persons a 20-litre combination microwave may substitute for a second cooker; 8-10 persons need at least 2 cookers, 11-15 at least 3); a sink with hot and cold water for every 5 persons (double-bowl sink and drainer or sink plus dishwasher acceptable up to 7 persons; 2 sinks for 8-10, 3 for 11-15); 0.5 m of worktop per user; at least 2 twin sockets per 5 persons; a 100-litre fridge with 15-litre freezer compartment per 3 persons (or an upright fridge freezer per 5); 500 mm wall or base unit storage per person; mechanical extract ventilation of at least 60 litres per second.
Minimum kitchen size (Category B, total residents): 2-5 persons 7 m2 (11.5 m2 dining kitchen); 6-10 persons 10 m2 (19.5 m2); 11-15 persons 13.5 m2 (24 m2). Optional shared living room: 11 m2 (2-5), 16.5 m2 (6-10), 21.5 m2 (11-15).
Bathrooms: one bathroom (bath or shower) for every 5 persons sharing; extra bathrooms needed above 5 persons; wash hand basin in any bathroom or WC room.
WCs: one WC per 5 persons where separate from the bathroom, or one per 4 persons where within the bathroom. Example combinations: 4 or fewer, 1 full suite; 5, 1 full suite plus 1 separate WC; 6-8, 2 full suites; 9-10, 2 full suites plus 1 WC or equivalent; 11-12, 3 full suites.
Facilities should be no more than one floor from any user (kitchen up to two floors where a suitable adjoining dining space exists).

Documents you will need

Completed HMO licence application form — Request the form from HMO@tamworth.gov.uk (new licence, variation or renewal); read the council's HMO licence guidance notes first. Incomplete forms may delay processing and incur further charges.
Proof of address for applicant / proposed licence holder — One of: current driving licence, bank or building society statement or utility bill dated within the last three months, or recent tax correspondence. For a business address: recent utility bill (last three months), business rates or recent tax correspondence.
Fit and proper person declarations — Yes/No answers on unspent convictions and related questions for the licence holder and manager; a 'yes' triggers a further council assessment.
Gas safety certificate — Council states an updated gas safety certificate must be sent to it every year as a licence condition.
Electrical appliance safety certificates — Council may request safety certificates for all electrical appliances provided.
Application fee — Pay online via 'miscellaneous payments, private sector housing' then 'HMO licence'. Stage 1 fee on application, Stage 2 fee for the licence.

Sources

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