HMO licensing in Tewkesbury

Tewkesbury 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.

The published fee for a new HMO licence is £1,200, and £1,200 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Fees taken from the council's own 'Licensing Fees (with effect from 1st April 2026)' consolidated fee schedule (Consolidated-fee-list-for-2026-2027-v.2.pdf). HMO licence fee is split into two non-refundable instalments: an 'Initial application fee' of £336.00, which must accompany the application when submitted (application is not considered 'duly made' without it and this portion is never refunded even if the application later fails), and a 'Further fee payable before issue of a licence' of £864.00, requested only if the application is successful (total £1,200 for up to 5 occupants). For HMOs with more than 5 occupants an additional £41.00 per extra occupant is added to the second instalment. The fee schedule and the council's own HMO Licensing Guidance Notes (Guidance-notes-for-HMO-licensing-application-August-2021-New.pdf) make no mention of any accredited-landlord discount anywhere — checked directly, no reference to 'discount' or 'accreditation' reducing the fee (question 1.9.7-1.9.10 of the guidance notes only asks whether the property/landlord is accredited under a scheme for informational purposes, with no fee consequence stated). No separate renewal fee is published; the guidance notes describe renewal applications as following the same two-instalment fee structure and process as new applications (Section 'Length of the HMO Licence': a renewal licence runs 5 years from the expiry date of the previous licence, on 'timely submission of the renewal application form... signed declaration and fee payment'), so renewalGbp is recorded as the same total. Licence duration is 5 years.

Check the current fee on the council website (tewkesbury.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 Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) must be prepared or commissioned by the licence holder for every HMO, per the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005; the council references the 'Home Stamp' guide and LACORS 'Housing – Fire Safety' guidance as its adopted standard.
• Low-risk shared houses (joint-tenancy, e.g. student lets) in a 1-2 storey property: 30-minute fire doors with intumescent strips/cold smoke seals to kitchens; solid close-fitting bedroom doors (not lightweight 'egg-box' types); Grade D1/LD2 interlinked smoke alarm system with heat alarm in the kitchen. In a 3-storey property, bedroom doors must also be 30-minute fire doors with intumescent strips (no smoke seals) and additional interlinked smoke alarms in any cellar. In a 4+ storey property, a Grade D1/LD1 system is required with alarms in all letting rooms, living/dining rooms, and airing/meter cupboards, plus fire doors on living rooms and cellars.
• Higher-risk shared houses/bedsits (individual tenancy agreements, or kitchens within bedrooms): doors to all risk rooms (letting rooms, living/dining rooms, kitchens, basements) must be 30-minute fire doors with intumescent strips, smoke seals and self-closers; Grade D1/LD1 mains-wired interlinked smoke alarm system in all letting rooms, living/dining rooms, airing/meter cupboards and basements, with a mains-wired interlinked heat alarm in the kitchen, regardless of storey count.
• Fire blanket required in the kitchen in all cases; fire extinguishers are discouraged by the Fire Service unless trained on-site staff are present, and if provided must be serviced/replaced annually with a dated record attached.
• Final exit doors and bedroom door locks (where fitted) must be openable from the inside without a removable key; break-glass boxes are not acceptable. Under-stairs cupboards and cellars must have a ceiling with 30-minute fire resistance. Basement letting rooms need either a direct protected escape route to a place of safety or a secondary means of escape (egress window ≥0.33 m², ≥450mm x 450mm, cill no more than 1100mm above floor) complying with Building Regulations Approved Document B.
• Emergency lighting to BS 5266-1 must be tested regularly with a full system test/service completed annually by a competent person; Grade A fire alarm systems must be inspected/serviced at least every 6 months to BS 5839-1:2013 Clause 45 with a certificate issued; Grade D systems tested weekly with detectors cleaned at least annually, self-certifiable by the landlord.
• Properties with 7 or more occupiers require planning permission (change of use) in addition to the HMO licence.

• Bath/shower ratio: at least one bathroom (fixed bath or shower) per 5 sharing occupiers; where a child under 10 lives in the property a bath (not just a shower) must be provided. Minimum unrestricted dressing space of 1.44 m² (1.2m x 1.2m) in shared bathrooms; minimum fixture dimensions specified: wash hand basin 500mm x 400mm, bath 1700mm x 700mm, shower 800mm x 800mm.
• Toilet ratio: 1 toilet for 4 or fewer sharing occupiers (may be in the bathroom); for 5+ occupiers, 1 separate toilet with wash hand basin for every 5 sharing occupiers, in addition to 1 bathroom per 5. 'Jack and Jill' toilets accessible from two or more rooms are not permitted. Separate toilet compartments must be at least 1300mm x 900mm with 750mm clearance in front of the toilet.
• Kitchen provision (shared): 1 complete set of kitchen facilities (4-ring cooker/oven/grill, sink with drainer, 3 double sockets, 1000mm x 600mm worktop, food storage per occupant, 130-litre fridge + 60-litre freezer, 60 l/s mechanical ventilation) for every 5 sharing occupiers. Minimum kitchen floor area: 7 m² for 3-5 people, 10 m² for 6-10 people, with a minimum width of 1.8m. For 6-7 people a combination microwave may substitute for a second cooker and a dishwasher for a second sink; 11+ people requires two or more separate kitchens.
• Kitchens for exclusive use within a letting room (bedsit standard): minimum 2-ring hob/oven/grill (conventional oven, not microwave-only), 130-litre fridge/freezer, food storage cupboard per occupant, 500mm x 1000mm worktop, 2 double sockets at worktop height, stainless steel sink, 60 l/s mechanical ventilation, and a carbon monoxide detector if gas/solid fuel appliances are present.
• Space heating: a fixed heating appliance (central heating with TRVs, or fixed electrical) capable of maintaining 21°C when outside is -1°C must be provided in every room including kitchens and bathrooms, under full occupier control (timing and temperature) — this is a Tewkesbury-specific temperature/appliance standard, stricter than some other councils' -3°C benchmark.

• Floor plan — A scaled sketch of every floor level with metric room measurements, alcove/bay window/chimney breast dimensions, and marked locations of smoke/heat alarms, fire doors and gas/electricity meters, per Appendix 1 of the council's HMO Licensing Guidance Notes.
• Landlord's Gas Safety Record — Annual 'Gas Safe' certificate covering the whole gas installation and all appliances, required where a piped or LPG gas supply exists. Failure to produce this is grounds for licence refusal.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — Certificate showing the fixed electrical installation and accessories tested at intervals not exceeding 5 years by a competent person registered with an approved body (e.g. NICEIC, ELECSA, BRE, BSI, Zurich Certification). Failure to produce this is grounds for licence refusal.
• Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) records — Records showing all landlord-supplied portable electrical appliances tested at least every 2 years. Not normally a ground for refusal, but must be produced within 28 days of licence issue if missing.
• Fire detection and emergency lighting certificates — Latest test/service certificates for the fire detection and warning system and, where fitted, emergency lighting, tested at least every 12 months by a competent person. Not normally a ground for refusal, but must be produced within 28 days of licence issue if missing.
• Fire Risk Assessment — Landlord-prepared or commissioned FRA identifying fire hazards and control measures; a template is suggested via the DASH Services website link in the council's guidance.
• Furniture fire-safety evidence — Evidence (sewn-in labels) that upholstered furniture supplied (beds, sofas, cushions etc.) complies with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988 / BS 7177:1991 for mattresses.
• Signed declaration — The owner(s), proposed licence holder and manager must sign and date the application declaration confirming the form is complete and truthful; knowingly supplying false or misleading information is a criminal offence.

• tewkesbury.gov.uk
• tewkesbury.gov.uk
• tewkesbury.gov.uk
• tewkesbury.gov.uk
• tewkesbury.gov.uk

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