Housing Standards Fees and Charges
Fees and charges
The following fees and charges apply from 1 April 2024.
HMO licence fees
HMO licence fees must be paid in two stages:
Stage 1 fee
This fee accompanies the application form and covers the administrative costs of processing the application and determining whether to grant a licence.
Stage 2 fee
This fee must be paid within 14 days of when the draft licence is issued. This part of the licence fee covers the costs of reinspections over the lifetime of the licence, plus a contribution towards the costs of identifying and enforcing HMOs. If we have concerns about the property condition or management, or have evidence that the property has been operating without a licence, we will charge a higher-rate fee to cover the additional enforcement costs. We will also charge the higher-rate if the stage 2 fee is not paid within 14 days.
Your licence application is not complete and we will not issue the final licence until both fees have been paid in full.
| Category |
Description |
Stage 1 |
Stage 2 |
Total fee payable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Higher-rate new application - where the HMO has been unlicensed for 6 weeks or more | £484.00 | £776.60 | £1,260.60 |
| B | Standard new application - where the HMO was acquired or became licensable within 6 weeks, or change of existing licence holder | £484.00 | £297.00 | £781.00 |
| C | Higher-rate renewal - where we have concerns about the HMO management or conditions | £363.00 | £418.00 | £781.00 |
| D | Standard renewal - valid application made and paid on time and no compliance issues | £363.00 | £177.10 | £540.10 |
Important notes:
If your property is occupied as a licensable HMO then you must make an application for an HMO licence immediately. Although our fee structure allows you to pay a lower fee if your application is made promptly, this does not provide an excuse for failing to make an application.
Our HMO licences are generally issued for five years.
The higher-rate fee will be charged if the standard stage 2 fee is not paid within 14 days of us issuing the Intention Notice.
Other fees and charges
Charges for discretionary services
| Discretionary service | Cost |
|---|---|
| Landlord/agent advisory visits | £176.00 per visit |
| Desktop review of plans etc. | £121.00 per request |
| Empty Home VAT-exemption letter | £48.40 per letter |
Charges for service of enforcement notices under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004
| Enforcement notice | Cost |
|---|---|
| Serving an improvement notice under section 11 or 12 | £528.00 |
| Making a prohibition order under section 20 or 21 | £528.00 |
| Serving a hazard awareness notice under section 28 or 29 | No charge |
| Taking emergency remedial action under section 40 | £528.00 |
| Making an emergency prohibition order under section 43 | £528.00 |
| Reviewing suspended improvement notices or prohibition orders | £264.00 |
| Making a demolition order under section 265 of the Housing Act 1985 (c.68) | Charged on hourly rate |