Licensing in Bath and North East Somerset

• Mandatory HMO licence

  In force

  Mandatory HMO licensing

  Area

  Whole Bath and North East Somerset Council administrative area. The separate HMO Article 4 planning direction covers the City of Bath only.

  Fee

  Published standard fee: £1,025

  The live application page and Housing Services Charging Policy 2026 agree: new licence £1,025; renewal £925. Part A is £620 on application; Part B is the outstanding balance after approval (£405 for a new licence or £305 for renewal before any discount). A £50 discount applies only where the complete application is submitted online, all correct valid supporting documents are uploaded and the proposed licence holder and managers agree to receive relevant documents by email. This is not an early-bird offer. The policy also lists £50 for a missed appointment and a possible £50 invoice charge for unpaid outstanding fees. Withdrawal before processing and acknowledgement refunds Parts A and B; withdrawal or refusal after processing but before inspection refunds £340 of Part A plus Part B if paid; after inspection only Part B if paid; no refund after final issue. No exact commencement day for the 2026 tariff was established.

  Who needs one

  HMOs occupied by five or more people forming more than one household, with some or all tenants sharing toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities, subject to statutory exclusions. Mandatory licensing is not limited by the number of storeys.

  Exemptions

  The council expressly excludes purpose-built flats situated in a block containing three or more self-contained flats. Other statutory exemptions apply. A smaller HMO may still be subject to management and safety duties even when it does not need a licence.

  Apply on the council’s websiteLicence conditions
  ›How we checked this

  Apply when the property becomes licensable, including completion of purchase of an occupied licensable HMO; the council accepts applications up to one month beforehand and warns that earlier applications may be refused with only a partial refund. A new owner needs a new licence, not a renewal of the seller’s licence. Renewal is available to the existing holder up to one month before expiry. The council normally grants five years but may shorten the term. Applicants must supply the required property plans, valid safety documents and fit-and-proper-person material; current guidance requires basic DBS certificates obtained within the previous three years for the proposed holder and managers. The linked standards are version 2.0, published 30 September 2026, and cover space, fire safety, kitchens, bathrooms, heating and carbon monoxide alarms. The linked standard conditions PDF is an example issued licence containing property-specific occupancy and dates; those particulars are not universal conditions. The council explicitly says its additional licensing scheme finished on 31 December 2023 and that a new scheme would need consultation. That expiry is outside the preceding twelve months. No current or approved future additional or selective designation, defined live licensing consultation, or optional scheme ending in the last twelve months was established in the current council pages and targeted committee searches. This is a dated research finding, not a guarantee against future schemes. The application page announces payment-system downtime on 2 November 2026, with normal service anticipated on 3 November.

  Sources

  • bathnes.gov.uk: apply hmo licence
  • bathnes.gov.uk: hmo licence types
  • bathnes.gov.uk: renew hmo licence
  • bathnes.gov.uk: Housing Charging Policy 2026 (PDF)
  • bathnes.gov.uk: hmo legislation standards guidance required documents and checklists
  • bathnes.gov.uk: HMO Licensing Standards Update October2026 (PDF)
  • bathnes.gov.uk: Standard Licensing Conditions 1 (PDF)

Council source

Bath and North East Somerset's civil penalty policy

• Housing Services Enforcement and Financial Penalty Policy 2026Closed, awaiting decision

  Closed 23 Sept 2026

We could not settle these points when we researched Bath and North East Somerset on 15 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

• Not yet confirmed

  Confirm the final decision and operative version of the proposed 2026 housing enforcement and financial penalty policy following the consultation that closed on 23 September. A draft referring to May 2026 is not proof of adoption.

• Not yet confirmed

  Keep checking for a new additional HMO scheme or selective licensing designation and any formal consultation. The council confirms the former additional scheme ended in 2023 but says a successor decision will be published later.

• Not yet confirmed

  Confirm the precise effective day of the 2026 charging tariff and the term and property-specific conditions of each issued licence. Check the exact City of Bath Article 4 plan at boundary addresses.

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Bath and North East Somerset is in South West, where registration is planned from 15 August 2027 to 14 November 2027. The regulations are still in draft. Read about the register