# Licensing in Bath and North East Somerset > Bath and North East Somerset has no selective or additional licensing scheme in force. - Checked 15 Oct 2026 (researched_at 2026-10-15, verified_at 2026-10-15) - Region: South West - ONS code: E06000022 - Web page: https://lettance.com/councils/bath-and-north-east-somerset - API: https://lettance.com/api/v1/councils/bath-and-north-east-somerset ## Licensing schemes ### Mandatory HMO licence: Mandatory HMO licensing - Status: In force (`in_force`) - 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. - Licence length: 5 years - 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: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/apply-hmo-licence - Licence conditions: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/document-and-policy-library/hmo-legislation-standards-guidance-required-documents-and-checklists - Confidence: High - 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: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/apply-hmo-licence, https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/hmo-licence-types, https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/renew-hmo-licence, https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Housing_Charging_Policy_2026.pdf, https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/document-and-policy-library/hmo-legislation-standards-guidance-required-documents-and-checklists, https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/HMO_Licensing_Standards-Update_October2026.pdf, https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Standard%20Licensing%20Conditions_1.pdf ## Article 4 for house shares Bath and North East Somerset has an Article 4 direction on HMOs (shared houses). Turning a family home into a shared house may need planning permission. - Area: Only the City of Bath within the boundary edged red on the sealed direction’s attached plan, not the whole Bath and North East Somerset district. The four-page scanned direction, seals and plan were visually inspected. It withdraws permitted development for C3 dwellinghouses changing to C4 small HMOs; it is a separate planning control and does not change the licensing threshold. The direction was made on 31 May 2012 and expressly comes into force on 1 July 2013. The current HMO planning policy page continues to link the confirmed direction and the 2023 HMO SPD. Use the exact plan for properties near the city boundary. Current policy page: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/policy-and-documents-library/houses-multiple-occupation-bath . - Takes effect: 1 July 2013 Council source: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2020-01/article_4_direction_confirmation_notice.pdf ## Civil penalty policy The council's policy sets how it decides the size of a fine. The council consulted from 12 August to 5pm on 23 September 2026 on a replacement Housing Services Enforcement and Financial Penalty Policy reflecting the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. The current consultation page says the consultation is closed and that feedback will be considered before a Cabinet Member decision to adopt or otherwise. The draft is published at https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Housing_Services_Enforcement_and_Financial_Penalty_Policy_2026_v4.pdf and refers to breaches from 1 May 2026; that proposed retrospective scope does not prove adoption. No final adoption decision was established in the fetched decision register covering August to 15 October 2026 or targeted primary-source searches. The older published 2022 enforcement/licensing policy remains publicly available at https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/B%26NES-Housing-enforcement-and-licensing-policy-2022-final.pdf . Its historical penalty ceilings must not be presented as current statutory limits. Confirm the operative policy before relying on a local penalty calculation. Policy: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/housing-services-enforcement-and-financial-penalty-policy-consultation ## Consultations - [Housing Services Enforcement and Financial Penalty Policy 2026](https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/housing-services-enforcement-and-financial-penalty-policy-consultation): Closed, awaiting decision. Closed 23 September 2026. ## Not yet confirmed 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. - 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. - 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. - 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. ## Landlord register 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: https://lettance.com/register --- From Lettance: https://lettance.com/councils/bath-and-north-east-somerset (catalogue edition 15 October 2026). This is information, not legal advice. Check the linked sources, and the council's own pages, before you act.