HMO licensing in West Northamptonshire

The published fee for a new HMO licence is £1,505, and £1,505 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

West Northamptonshire charges a two-part fee. Per the council's Appendix E Fees and Charges 2026-27 (Housing general fund table), the Standard HMO Licence Fee is Part 1 (initial application, paid when applying) plus Part 2 (paid within 14 days of the 'notice of intention to grant a licence'; covers enforcement of licence conditions). 2025/26: Part 1 £628 + Part 2 £824 = £1,452 total. 2026/27 (shown as 'Proposed' in the committee appendix; the council's HMO pages do not state a figure and refer to the fees and charges policy): Part 1 £650 + Part 2 £855 = £1,505 total. An additional £46 (2025/26) / £48 (2026/27) Part 2 charge applies per person after 5 licensed occupants. The same Part 1 + Part 2 amounts are listed for the Standard HMO Renewal Fee (£1,452 in 2025/26; £1,505 in 2026/27), i.e. renewals are not discounted. No accredited-landlord discount is published. The flat total below is the 2026/27 figure for a 5-person licence; verify the currently adopted figure with the council before quoting to customers. Other listed charges: pre-application inspection £111, copy of licence £222 (2025/26).

Fee source: westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk. Fees change during the year, so check the council before you apply.

Fees for council-designated schemes are set separately from the mandatory HMO fee. Figures are the standard full-rate fee for a new licence, before any discounts.

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 suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment must be prepared or commissioned for every HMO (Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005); the guide refers landlords to the Home Stamp fire-safety guide and the LACORS Housing Fire Safety guidance.
• Low-risk shared houses (typical example in the guide): Grade D, LD2 interlinked fire alarm system with smoke alarms in escape routes at all levels and a heat alarm in the kitchen; additional interlinked smoke alarm in the living room and any cellar.
• Kitchen doors and living-room doors to be 30-minute fire doors with intumescent strips and cold smoke seals; bedroom doors solid, close-fitting and (in the example table) 30-minute fire doors with intumescent strips; cellar doors 30-minute fire doors with heat and smoke seals.
• Fire blanket in the kitchen, prominently wall-mounted away from the hob. Any extinguishers provided must be serviced or replaced annually.
• Fire alarm and emergency lighting systems must be tested and maintained (servicing certificate per BS 5839-1:2013 for alarm systems); requirements increase with storeys (1-2, 3, 4+) and for non-standard layouts (e.g. inner rooms) or higher-risk occupants, to be agreed with a case officer.
• A carbon monoxide detector must be provided where a gas or solid-fuel appliance is within a unit of accommodation.

• Bathrooms/toilets (Northampton and Daventry guide): 1-4 people: 1 bathroom with toilet, bath or shower and wash hand basin; 5 people: 1 bathroom with bath/shower and 1 separate toilet with wash hand basin (may be in a second bathroom); 6-10 people: 2 bathrooms with bath/shower and 2 toilets with basins, one toilet in a separate room; 11-15 people: 3 bathrooms and 3 toilets. Exact row alignment of the source table was partly scrambled in extraction: verify against the guide before relying on it.
• Shared kitchens: a complete set of kitchen facilities for every five persons (max two sets per kitchen): sink with integral drainer, tiled splashback and constant hot/cold water; cooker with four ring burners, oven and grill with at least 300 mm worktop each side; at least three double 13A sockets above worktop; worktop minimum 1000 mm x 600 mm.
• Fridge/freezer: refrigerator of at least 130 litres plus a freezer of at least 60 litres (may be outside the kitchen). Mechanical ventilation to outside air required (extraction rates specified in the guide).
• Kitchen facilities must be available 24 hours a day and located within the main building no more than one floor from bedrooms (up to two floors permitted only for HMOs of no more than three storeys and 10 persons).
• Heating: fixed heating capable of maintaining 21 C when the outside temperature is -1 C in habitable rooms, kitchens and bathrooms.

• Completed online application and signed declaration — Applications (new and renewal) are made through the council's online portal; the council states a valid application needs a fully completed application, a signed declaration and the Part 1 fee paid in full.
• Part 1 fee payment — Paid on submission; not refundable if the application is withdrawn. Part 2 is payable within 14 days of the notice of intention to grant a licence and the licence is not issued until it is paid.
• Fire Risk Assessment — Required for every licensed HMO under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005; the council's guide requires the licence holder to prepare or commission it.
• Gas safety certificate — Annual Gas Safe inspection record where gas is supplied (Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998); a standard licence-application requirement, not itemised on the council's overview page.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — The council's guide states electrical installations in HMOs must be inspected by a competent person at least every five years.
• Fire alarm / emergency lighting servicing certificates — Where installed; the guide requires alarm and emergency lighting systems to be tested and maintained (BS 5839-1:2013 servicing certificate for alarm systems).
• Fit and proper person declaration for licence holder and manager — Licence holder and manager must be over 18, pass the fit and proper person test, not live abroad and not be in prison; otherwise another person or body must be appointed.
• Floor plans with room sizes — Not itemised on the council's overview page but needed to assess room sizes and layout against the standards; confirm exact upload requirements in the online portal.

• westnorthants.gov.uk
• westnorthants.gov.uk
• westnorthants.gov.uk
• westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk
• cms.westnorthants.gov.uk
• cms.westnorthants.gov.uk

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