HMO licensing in Welwyn Hatfield

Welwyn Hatfield 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 £1,339, and £1,339 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Figures taken directly from Welwyn Hatfield's own 'General Fund Fees and Charges' document (Appendix E, Resident Services and Climate Change Directorate), which sets fees for the 2026-27 financial year (effective from April 2026, a 3.8% CPI uplift on 2025-26): 'Application for basic 5 person HMO' = £1,339.00 (2025-26: £1,290.00); 'Application for an HMO between 6 - 10 persons' = £1,498.00 (2025-26: £1,443.00); 'Application for an HMO with 11 or more persons' = £1,650.00 (2025-26: £1,589.00). All three tiers show £0.00 VAT (the statutory fee is not VATable), so the 'Total Fee' column equals the base fee. A footnote against these three rows states '10% discount on HMO fee for member of PAL scheme' (the council's Private Accredited Landlord scheme) - the document does not break the discount down by tier beyond the flat 10%. The council's own 'Renew or change a HMO Licence' page confirms renewals use 'the full licence fee' with no separate/lower renewal rate published, and the 'Apply' page states the full fee must be paid on application with no instalment option mentioned.

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

• Self-closing FD30S fire doors (30 minutes fire and smoke protection, with combined cold smoke seals and intumescent strips) are required on all bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms; bedroom fire doors and final exit doors must have locks openable from the inside without a key (e.g. Yale-type or thumb-turn), complying with BS 3621 or BS 1303.
• A fire blanket to BS 1869:1997 (or equivalent) must be provided in the kitchen, wall-mounted 1.5 m high adjacent to an exit door and away from the cooking facility. Fire extinguishers are not recommended in HMOs, but if provided must be serviced annually (with records) and tenants trained in their use (with records).
• Glazing panels above doors on the escape route, or within walls forming part of the escape route, must be upgraded to at least 30 minutes fire resistance (e.g. fire-resistant glazing or double-layer plasterboard overboarding).
• All HMOs must have an automatic fire detection (AFD) system, mains-wired with interlinked integral battery back-up. Two-storey HMOs require Grade D1, LD2 to BS 5839-6 (or equivalent): smoke detectors in every bedroom, throughout the escape route and in communal living rooms, plus a heat detector in the kitchen; three-storey HMOs have enhanced requirements referencing Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service's HMO fire protection guide.
• The AFD system must be tested and certified annually by a qualified person, with documented monthly checks by the manager kept on file; an installer's certificate confirming design/installation to the relevant British Standard must be submitted on completion.

• Bathrooms (Section 2 of the council's Standards for HMOs document): up to 5 people sharing = 1 bathroom with wash basin and bath/shower; 6-10 sharing = 2 bathrooms; 11+ sharing = an additional bathroom (with wash basin and bath/shower) for each further 5 persons.
• Toilets: 1-4 occupiers = 1 toilet (can be sited within the bathroom); 5 occupiers = 1 toilet separate from the bathroom; 6-8 occupiers = 2 toilets (can be in separate bathrooms); 9-10 occupiers = 2 toilets, at least 1 separate from any bathroom; 11-16 occupiers = 3 toilets, at least 1 separate from any bathroom.
• Wash basins are required in each shared bath/shower room serving up to 5 occupiers, and (where reasonably practicable) in all bedrooms of licensed HMOs.
• Kitchens (Section 3): a full set of kitchen facilities is required for every 5 occupants. 1-5 occupants need 1 full-size cooker (min. 4 rings, oven and grill), 1 sink (min. 500mm x 600mm) with drainer, and 1 fridge/freezer; 6 occupants need the same plus a combination microwave and a full-size dishwasher or double-bowled sink; 7-10 occupants need 2 full-size cookers, 2 sinks and 2 fridge/freezers (or 2 fridges + 2 freezers).
• Kitchen worktop: minimum 600mm depth x 500mm length of fixed worktop per occupier. Electrical sockets: 6 power outlets per 5 occupiers sited above worktops, plus 1 dedicated outlet per major appliance.
• Minimum communal kitchen floor area: 6 m² for 1-5 occupiers sharing; 11 m² for 6-10 occupiers sharing.
• Minimum ceiling height of 2.13 m over at least half the floor area of any habitable room (kitchens, bathrooms and toilet compartments included); any floor area with a ceiling height under 1.5 m is excluded when calculating usable room size.
• Self-contained (non-shared-facility) units of accommodation have their own bespoke, generally larger, space standards in Section 16.1 of the council's document - e.g. a one-person, one-room unit with kitchen facilities in the room needs 11 m² (8m² if the kitchen is separate/shared), and a two-person one-room unit needs 16 m² (13 m² if the kitchen is separate/shared) - these exceed the statutory bedroom minimums shown above and apply to non-shared HMO layouts rather than to individual bedrooms in a shared house.

• Legionella Risk Assessment — Valid for two years per the council's 'Documents you will need to provide' page; the council recommends annual renewal if tenants are considered vulnerable.
• Fire Risk Assessment — Valid for one year. Council provides an example and separate guidance document (fire-risk-assessment-example / fire-risk-assessment-guidance) on welhat.gov.uk.
• Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) — Valid for one year, from a Gas Safe registered engineer, if the property has gas appliances.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — Valid for five years.
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — Valid for ten years.
• Emergency Lighting Certificate — Valid for one year (where emergency lighting is fitted/required).
• Fire Alarm Certificate — Valid for one year; confirms the automatic fire detection system has been tested/inspected by a qualified person.
• Portable Appliance Test (PAT) Certificate — Valid for one year, covering landlord-supplied portable electrical appliances.
• Completed and signed application form — Fully completed and signed application form plus 'the full licence fee' must accompany the application (applications are made via a linked GOV.UK form).

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