HMO licensing in Tonbridge and Malling

Tonbridge and Malling 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 £810, and £727 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

The council's HMO licensing page states: 'Fees from 1 April 2026 are as follows: new HMO licence - £810; renewal HMO licence - £727.' This matches the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee report of 2 December 2025 (recommended charge, +4% on £779 new / £699 renewal in 2025/26) and the Cabinet decision of 6 January 2026 (published 8 January 2026) approving the fees to be implemented from 1 April 2026. Flat fee: no occupant/bedroom scaling and no accredited-landlord discount is published for Tonbridge and Malling (the committee report notes that neighbouring Maidstone offers an accredited-landlord discount, but none is listed for Tonbridge and Malling). Licences last up to five years. No instalment or two-stage payment option is published. Applications and renewals are paid online.

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

• Fire precautions to follow the LACORS 'Housing - Fire Safety' guidance, in consultation with Kent Fire and Rescue Service (Kent HMO Amenity Standards, section 6).
• Fire risk assessment required where parts of the premises are shared, meeting the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005; must be available to Kent Fire and Rescue Service inspectors.
• Automatic fire detection and alarm system in accordance with BS 5839 Part 6; the type is agreed with the Local Housing Authority.
• Emergency lighting to BS 5266 where required in consultation with the Local Housing Authority.
• Fire blanket (BS EN 1869) in each shared kitchen; 2 kg dry powder extinguisher (13A/70B) in each shared kitchen and an extinguisher on each landing where required, subject to Local Housing Authority requirements and the fire risk assessment.
• Fire doors (FD30, BS 476 Part 22 or BS EN 1634-1) where specified by the council, with intumescent strips and cold smoke seals, self-closing devices, and installation to BS 8214:2008. Fire separation of at least 30 minutes between lettings, common parts and kitchens, and 60 minutes in some circumstances.
• Fire alarms, emergency lighting and extinguishers must be maintained under a contract with a competent contractor; alarm systems tested weekly and logged. Fire action notices and signage to BS 5499 Part 1 in larger premises.
• Standard licence conditions published on the council page: annual gas safety certificate submission; safe electrical installations, appliances and furniture; smoke alarms installed and working; written tenancy agreements for all occupiers.

• Bathrooms/WCs (Kent guidance, 1.2): up to 4 persons - facilities provided per accommodation; 5 persons - at least 1 bathroom plus 1 separate WC with wash hand basin (the WC may be in a second bathroom); 6-10 persons - at least 2 bathrooms plus 1 separate WC with basin, with a wash hand basin in each sleeping room; 11-15 persons - at least 3 bathrooms plus 1 separate WC with basin, with a basin in each sleeping room. Facilities no more than one floor from any bedroom unless en-suite. Bathroom mechanical extraction 15 litres/second.
• Shared kitchens: one sink with draining board per 5 occupants (a dishwasher counts as a second sink); one cooker (4-ring hob, oven and grill) per 5 occupants; two worktop-height fridge-freezers (or 1 fridge plus 1 freezer) per 5 occupiers; at least two double sockets at worktop height plus one per major appliance.
• Worktop minimums: 600 x 1000 mm (1-3 persons), 600 x 2000 mm (4-6 persons), 600 x 3000 mm (7-10 persons). Dry goods storage of 0.3 m³ per occupant. Kitchen extraction 60 litres/second (30 l/s if within 300 mm of the hob centre line).
• Shared kitchen floor area where occupiers form a group: 3 persons 5 m², 4 persons 6 m², 5 persons 7 m², 6 persons 9 m², 7-10 persons 11 m². Communal living room (not required if bedrooms meet the combined bedroom/living standard): 12 m² for 3-6 persons, 17 m² for 7-10 persons.
• Heating: adequate, controllable central heating or storage heaters, capable of maintaining 21°C when it is -1°C outside, available at all times. Electrical installation tested every 5 years with no Category 1 or 2 hazards; PAT testing of portable appliances; annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe engineer; furniture compliant with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.

• Completed online application and fee payment — Applications and renewals are made and paid online via the council's HMO licensing page. A new licence costs £810 and a renewal £727 from 1 April 2026. The council does not publish a full document checklist on its page, so the items below are drawn from its published licence conditions and standards.
• Gas safety certificate — The council's standard licence conditions require annual gas safety certificate submission; the Kent guidance requires annual testing of gas appliances by a Gas Safe registered contractor.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — The Kent standards require the electrical installation to be tested every 5 years by a competent electrical engineer, with no Category 1 or 2 hazards.
• PAT test evidence — The Kent standards require all portable electrical equipment supplied to be PAT tested.
• Fire risk assessment — Required where parts of the premises are shared, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
• Fire alarm and emergency lighting evidence — Automatic detection to BS 5839 Part 6 and emergency lighting to BS 5266 where required, with maintenance contract and test log.
• Fit and proper person and management details — The council considers whether the licence holder and manager are fit and proper and whether the management arrangements are satisfactory when deciding whether to grant a licence. Provide licence holder and manager details as requested by the online form.
• Written tenancy agreement — A written tenancy agreement for all occupiers is a standard licence condition.

• tmbc.gov.uk
• tmbc.gov.uk
• democracy.tmbc.gov.uk
• democracy.tmbc.gov.uk

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