HMO licensing in Tendring

Tendring 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 £878, and £878 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Tendring's HMO Policy (updated September 2024) confirms only mandatory licensing operates in the district (no Additional or Selective licensing scheme is mentioned or in force). The licence fee is £878.00, plus an additional £25.00 per room for properties with more than six rooms. No separate published instalment plan or discounted renewal rate was found - the same fee structure applies to new applications and renewals. The council separately maintains a district-wide Article 4 Direction (since May 2013) requiring planning permission for any change of use to an HMO, which is a planning control, not part of the HMO licence fee.

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

• A written fire risk assessment must be undertaken by the landlord/manager; the Council's Private Sector Housing Team advises on the level of fire precautions required, which vary by construction type and anticipated tenant group.
• Fire safety measures typically required include protected fire escape routes, fire separation between rooms, fire detection and warning systems, fire doors, and (where necessary) sprinkler systems.
• Before an HMO is brought into use, all appropriate conversion works and fire safety measures must be installed and approved by the Council's Private Sector Housing Team.
• Landlords must undertake electrical safety inspections, fire alarm tests and gas safety checks and submit records to the Council when requested.
• Tendring District Council is a signatory to the pan-Essex 'Essex Amenity Standards' (reviewed 2018), applied to HMOs across Essex local authorities including Tendring, Chelmsford, Colchester and Basildon, covering fire, kitchen, bathroom and space standards in detail.

• Washing/toilet facilities, kitchen facilities, heating and fire precautions must meet the minimum standards prescribed in The Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006, as applied via the pan-Essex Amenity Standards.
• Annual gas safety checks and electrical safety checks at least every 5 years are required, with certificates provided to the Council on request.
• Waste storage and disposal must meet the standards introduced by The Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018.
• Management arrangements must include: a repairs-reporting procedure, sufficient funds for emergency/routine repairs, checks on emergency lighting and fire detection systems, tenant fire-safety awareness procedures, clear fire escape routes, up-to-date gas/electrical safety certificates, clean common parts, and tidy external areas.
• Any deposit taken must be protected in a government-backed custodial tenancy deposit scheme.

• Gas safety certificate (CP12) — Annual safety check for all gas appliances, submitted to the Council on request.
• EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report, required at least every 5 years.
• Fire risk assessment — Written assessment of fire precautions required, appropriate to the property's construction and tenant group, approved by the Private Sector Housing Team before the HMO is brought into use.
• Fire alarm test record — Evidence of regular fire alarm testing, submitted to the Council when requested.
• Tenancy deposit protection evidence — Confirmation that any deposit taken is protected in a government-backed custodial scheme.
• EPC — Valid Energy Performance Certificate for the property.

• tendringdc.gov.uk
• legacy.tendringdc.gov.uk

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