HMO licensing in Torridge

Torridge 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 £787, and £787 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Fees taken directly from the council's own 'Fees and Charges 2026/27' schedule (approved via democracy.torridge.gov.uk), Housing section. HMO Licence: Part A - Application Fee (Plus DBS Fee) £446.00, Part B - Grant Fee (Management & Enforcement) £341.00 (total £787.00 for a new application). Renewal is listed as a single flat fee of £787.00 (identical to the new-application Part A + Part B total for 2026/27, and likewise identical to the 2025/26 new-application total of £750.00 in that year's schedule), rather than being split into two instalments in the published table. Licence Variation fees are also published: £84.00 where an inspection is required, £37.00 where no inspection is required. The 'Plus DBS Fee' note on Part A implies an additional criminal-records-check charge may apply on top of the published figures in some cases; the amount of that potential add-on is not stated in the Housing section of the fee schedule, so it has NOT been added to the totalGbp/renewalGbp figures below. No accredited-landlord discount is mentioned anywhere in the fee schedule or in the council's Licensing of HMO 'Application Guidance' document (checked directly, no reference to 'discount' or 'accreditation' affecting price).

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

• Owners/managers must ensure appropriate fire precaution facilities and equipment are provided, per Schedule 3(5) of the Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006, and the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 require the manager to keep the fire alarm system and any firefighting equipment in good order.
• The council's HMO page links directly to the national LACORS 'Housing – Fire Safety' guidance document as its adopted fire-safety benchmark, rather than publishing its own bespoke fire-standard tables (unlike some neighbouring councils) — checked directly, September 2026.
• The council's application guidance defines the fire detection system grades it recognises: Grade A (a full detection/alarm system with Control and Indicating equipment and backup power, to BS 5839 Part 1:2002), Grade D (240V mains-powered smoke alarms with integral standby supply, to BS 5839 Part 6:2004), Grade A&D (combined), or Battery (stand-alone battery smoke alarms). Applicants are told that battery-only systems may need to be upgraded to Grade A or D during the licence period following an HHSRS inspection.
• Gas appliances require an annual Gas Safe inspection under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998; a current certificate must be produced to the council within 7 days of any request. Electrical installations must be inspected and tested at intervals not exceeding 5 years, with the certificate similarly producible to the council within 7 days of request.
• Furniture supplied by the landlord (beds, sofas, armchairs, curtains etc.) must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988; applicants self-certify compliance at application stage.

• Torridge's own published HMO documents (application guidance, landlord's management-regulations guide, and licensing factsheets) do not set out bespoke kitchen/bathroom sharing-ratio tables of the kind published by some neighbouring Devon councils (e.g. Torbay). Checked directly against the council's live HMO webpage and linked PDFs, September 2026 — no council-specific amenity ratio table was found.
• In the absence of a published bespoke table, the general national statutory minimum under the Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006 applies: broadly, at least one bathroom with a fixed bath/shower and a toilet for every 4 or fewer sharing occupiers, and additional separate toilet/washing provision at a ratio of approximately 1 per 5 occupiers where there are 5 or more sharers, plus a kitchen suitably located, sized and equipped (sinks, cooking facilities, worktops, storage, fridge/freezer, refuse disposal) to adequately serve the number of occupiers sharing it.
• Managers have an ongoing statutory duty (Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006) to maintain shared toilets, baths, sinks, basins, cooking/food-storage installations, and shared lighting/heating/hot water facilities in repair, good order and a clean condition.
• Gas, electricity and water meters/isolating switches must remain accessible to occupiers and supplies must not be unreasonably interrupted by the landlord.

• Property sketch plan — A signed sketch or technical drawing of the property with each room numbered, marking the location of smoke detectors (S in a circle) and heat detectors (H in a circle), used to complete the 'Use of Accommodation' tables in the application.
• Gas safety certificate — Current original Gas Safe engineer's certificate (annual), required where gas appliances are provided, per the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
• Electrical Installation certificate — Original certificate from a competent person confirming the fixed electrical installation has been inspected and found safe; must be renewed at intervals not exceeding 5 years.
• Portable appliance test (PAT) certificates — For any portable electrical appliances supplied (fridge, freezer, microwave, kettle, heater etc.) over 1 year old, tested annually by a competent person.
• Fire detection system test certificate — Current test certificate for the fire detection/alarm system installed (Grade A, D, combined, or battery), where available.
• DBS / criminal records certificate — Not mandatory, but the application guidance suggests enclosing an existing DBS certificate (e.g. from work/volunteering with children) to support the 'fit and proper person' check, since the council cross-checks a proportion of applications with the Criminal Records Office.
• Notification of interested parties — Declaration confirming that any mortgagee, other owner/freeholder, long leaseholder, or proposed managing agent has been notified of the application, including the applicant's contact details and the date of submission.
• Licence fee — The full Part A application fee (plus any applicable DBS fee) must be enclosed for the application to be considered valid; Part B is payable later if the application is approved.

• torridge.gov.uk
• torridge.gov.uk
• democracy.torridge.gov.uk
• torridge.gov.uk
• torridge.gov.uk
• torridge.gov.uk
• torridge.gov.uk

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