East of England

HMO licensing in West Suffolk

West Suffolk Council requires a mandatory licence for HMOs occupied by 5 or more people from 2 or more households. No additional or selective licensing scheme is currently in force in West Suffolk (checked September 2026). The published licence fee starts at £670 (£550 to renew).

Mandatory licence

5+ people, 2+ households

National scheme

Additional / selective

None in force

Mandatory licensing only

Licence fee

From £670

Renewal £550

Decision time

Not published

Check your property Get alerts for West Suffolk

Licensing schemes in West Suffolk

West Suffolk 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.

Licence fees

The published fee for a new HMO licence is £670, and £550 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Fees confirmed on West Suffolk's own 'House in multiple occupancy licence fees' page (HMO Fee Review 2024), effective from 1 April 2025. Following the Hemming v Westminster / Gaskin v Richmond legal precedent, the council charges in two stages: Stage 1 (paid on application, covers processing costs) and Stage 2 (paid only once the council decides to grant the licence, covers ongoing enforcement/monitoring costs). New HMO licence: Stage 1 = £460, Stage 2 = £210, Total = £670. Renewal of HMO licence: Stage 1 = £335, Stage 2 = £215, Total = £550. Variation of an HMO licence: Stage 1 = £110, Stage 2 = £0, Total = £110 (no fee to apply to vary permitted occupancy or manager details). Revocation of an HMO licence and a Temporary Exemption Notice (TEN) are both £0. No accredited-landlord discount is mentioned anywhere in the fee review document, the application forms, or the landlord's handbook.

Check the current fee on the council website (westsuffolk.gov.uk) before you apply.

Minimum room sizes

Single bedroom	6.51 m² for 1 person, where there is a separate living room (council's own 'Suffolk Landlord's Handbook' space standards, which state 'All licensable HMOs have to comply with the National minimum room size' - i.e. this matches the national statutory minimum under SI 2018/616). Where there is no separate living room, the council's bespoke minimum for a single-person study/living-bedroom is larger: 10 m² (or 13 m² for a bed-sitting room containing its own cooking facilities).
Double bedroom	10.22 m² for 2 people with a separate living room (matches the national statutory minimum). Without a separate living room the council's bespoke minimum rises to 15 m² (study/living-bedroom) or 18 m² (bed-sitting room with cooking facilities).
Child under 10	4.64 m² (national statutory minimum, SI 2018/616) - not restated as a distinct bespoke figure in West Suffolk's landlord handbook, which only sets out 1-person and 2-person bedroom sizes; the national fallback is used for this figure.

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 safety requirements

Fire doors must provide 30 minutes' fire resistance complete with intumescent strips and cold smoke seals (FD30S) and an overhead self-closing device to BS EN 1154, separating bedrooms/habitable rooms and kitchens from the common escape route.
Emergency lighting to common parts (to BS 5266-1) is required where the escape route is complex, and fire escape signage (to BS 5499) where the escape route is long or complex.
Where a fire alarm and detection system is fitted, weekly testing of a different manual call point must be carried out and logged, plus six-monthly and annual inspection by a competent person with specialist fire-alarm knowledge; a maintenance contract with a suitably qualified person is strongly recommended.
The council 'proactively endorses' suppression systems (sprinklers to BS 9251, water mist to BS 8458) and may relax other fire safety measures where one is installed, on a case-by-case basis agreed with the authority having jurisdiction.
Landlords/managers must keep means of escape free from obstruction, must never wedge open or tamper with fire doors, and must supply the council with the latest Gas Safety Certificate and Electrical Safety Certificate within 7 days of being asked.

Kitchen, bathroom and amenity standards

1-5 persons: at least one kitchen no more than one floor from the furthest bedroom (else an additional kitchen or same-floor dining room is needed); at least one bathroom and one toilet - where there are 5 persons the bathroom and toilet must be separate (though the bathroom may also contain a toilet).
6-10 persons: at least two kitchens (or one large kitchen/diner with two sets of facilities); two bathrooms and two separate toilets with wash-hand basins (one toilet may be within a bathroom).
10+ persons: at least two kitchens with facilities scaled to actual tenant numbers; three bathrooms and three separate toilets with wash-hand basins (two toilets may be within bathrooms).
Minimum kitchen floor area: 7 m² for 1-5 persons; 10 m² for 6-10 persons. Each kitchen for up to 5 persons needs: 1 cooker (4 rings, oven, grill); 1 sink with hot/cold water, base unit and drainer; 1 food-storage cupboard per person (or 1 double cupboard per 2 persons, min. 300x1000x900mm); worktop of 1000x600mm per 3 persons (or 2000x600mm per 5 persons); 1 fridge per 3 persons (or 1 large fridge per 5, each with a separate shelf); a dedicated socket per fixed appliance plus 2 undedicated sockets above worktop; a separate cooker panel for electric cookers.
Minimum living-room area: 11 m² for 1-5 persons (or 13 m² combined kitchen/diner); 14 m² for 6-10 persons (or 16.5 m² combined kitchen/diner). Minimum dining-room area (where provided as an alternative to a living room, or for a bed-sit more than one floor from the kitchen): 11 m² (1-5 persons), 16.5 m² (6-10), 21.5 m² (11-15), 25 m² (16+).

Documents you will need

Gas Safety Certificate — If the property has a gas supply, the most recent Landlord's Gas Safety Certificate from a Gas Safe registered contractor, no more than 12 months old.
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) / Periodic Inspection Report — Latest report issued by an approved electrician to BS 7671; must still be current and no more than 5 years old.
Fire Alarm Test Certificate — Latest test certificate from an approved electrician/fire alarm contractor, no more than 12 months old (or a Fire Alarm Installation Certificate if the system is under 12 months old).
Emergency Lighting Test Certificate — Required if emergency lighting is installed; latest certificate no more than 12 months old (or an installation certificate if under 12 months old).
Portable Appliance Test (PAT) Certificate — Required if the landlord supplies portable electrical appliances over 12 months old; certificate must be no more than 2 years old.
Fire-fighting equipment test certificate — Latest test certificate for any fire-fighting equipment provided, no more than 12 months old.
Sprinkler system test certificate (if fitted) — From a competent person, no more than 12 months old.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — Latest EPC, if available.
Tenancy agreement / written statement of terms — A copy of the tenancy agreement used, or other written statement of occupancy terms.
Plan of the property — A plan of the property is required as part of the application.
Fit and proper person declarations — Separate declarations for the licence holder and the proposed manager (Part 7/8 of the application form).
Evidence of Planning and Building Regulations compliance — Documents confirming planning permission and building regulations compliance where applicable.

Sources

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