Licensing in Gloucester

• Additional HMO licence

  In force

  The Gloucester City Council Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2026 — section 254 HMOs

  Area

  The entire area of Gloucester City Council. The notice says 'the designation is citywide and includes all wards within the district of Gloucester City Council.'

  Runs

  21 September 2026 to 19 September 2031. The council notice says it ceases to have effect on 20 September 2031

  Fee

  Published standard fee: £1,260. Early application: £1,060

  Fees page (last reviewed 22/09/2026, effective 1 April 2026): new licence £1,260; renewal £900. A reduced application fee of £1,060 applies only to properties that need a licence because of the additional licensing designation (not mandatory) where the application is received before 21 October 2026; that window has now closed. Fees are paid in full online with the application and are non-refundable. The council's 15 July 2026 news release instead described the early-bird discount as applying to additional licence applications received before 21 September 2026; the current fees page (last reviewed 22/09/2026) gives 21 October 2026. Either window has now passed.

  Who needs one

  HMOs occupied by 3 or more people forming 2 or more households under section 254 that are not already subject to mandatory licensing (in practice, 3 or 4 occupiers). Section 257 converted blocks are a separate record under the same designation.

  Exemptions

  The notice excludes HMOs subject to mandatory licensing, HMOs under an Interim or Final Management Order, HMOs with a temporary exemption notice, buildings that are not HMOs under Schedule 14 to the Act, and any other property exempt under the Act.

  Apply on the council’s websiteLicence conditionsCouncil's map or designation
  ›How we checked this

  Designation notice wording: 'This designation was made on 09 June 2026. This designation shall come into force on 21 September 2026. This designation shall cease to have effect on 20 September 2031, being not more than five years from the date on which it comes into force, unless it is revoked earlier.' Made under the 2024 General Approval, so no Secretary of State confirmation was needed. Consultation ran 2 March to 11 May 2026. Operating an unlicensed licensable HMO is an offence under section 72.

  Sources

  • gloucester.gov.uk: appendix 1 the gloucester city council designation of an area for addititional licensing of houses in multiple occupation 2026 (PDF)
  • gloucester.gov.uk: hmo licensing information
  • gloucester.gov.uk: hmo licensing application and fees
  • gloucester.gov.uk: gloucester cracks down on poorly managed hmos to protect neighbourhoods

• Additional HMO licence

  In force

  The Gloucester City Council Designation of an Area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2026 — section 257 converted blocks

  Area

  The entire area of Gloucester City Council. The notice says 'the designation is citywide and includes all wards within the district of Gloucester City Council.'

  Runs

  21 September 2026 to 19 September 2031. The council notice says it ceases to have effect on 20 September 2031

  Fee

  Published standard fee: £1,260. Early application: £1,060

  Fees page (last reviewed 22/09/2026, effective 1 April 2026): new licence £1,260; renewal £900. A reduced application fee of £1,060 applies only to properties that need a licence because of the additional licensing designation (not mandatory) where the application is received before 21 October 2026; that window has now closed. Fees are paid in full online with the application and are non-refundable. The council's 15 July 2026 news release instead described the early-bird discount as applying to additional licence applications received before 21 September 2026; the current fees page (last reviewed 22/09/2026) gives 21 October 2026. Either window has now passed.

  Who needs one

  Section 257 converted blocks: buildings converted into self-contained flats whose conversion did not comply, and still does not comply, with the appropriate building standards defined in Housing Act 2004 section 257(3). Which standards apply turns on when the building work was completed (before or after 1 June 1992), whether it was dealt with by regulation 20 of the Building Regulations 1991, and whether it would have been exempt under those Regulations; this record does not restate that test. The scheme covers those blocks where less than two-thirds of the flats are owner-occupied (the designation notice and section 257(2)(b)), unless exempt. The licence is for the block, not each individual flat.

  Exemptions

  The notice excludes HMOs subject to mandatory licensing, HMOs under an Interim or Final Management Order, HMOs with a temporary exemption notice, buildings that are not HMOs under Schedule 14 to the Act, and any other property exempt under the Act.

  Apply on the council’s websiteLicence conditionsCouncil's map or designation
  ›How we checked this

  Designation notice wording: 'This designation was made on 09 June 2026. This designation shall come into force on 21 September 2026. This designation shall cease to have effect on 20 September 2031, being not more than five years from the date on which it comes into force, unless it is revoked earlier.' Made under the 2024 General Approval, so no Secretary of State confirmation was needed. Consultation ran 2 March to 11 May 2026. Operating an unlicensed licensable HMO is an offence under section 72.

  Sources

  • gloucester.gov.uk: appendix 1 the gloucester city council designation of an area for addititional licensing of houses in multiple occupation 2026 (PDF)
  • gloucester.gov.uk: hmo licensing information
  • gloucester.gov.uk: hmo licensing application and fees
  • gloucester.gov.uk: gloucester cracks down on poorly managed hmos to protect neighbourhoods
  • legislation.gov.uk: 257

• Mandatory HMO licence

  In force

  Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Gloucester fees)

  Area

  The whole of Gloucester City Council's area (national scheme).

  Fee

  Published standard fee: £1,260

  The council's 'HMO licensing application and fees' page (last reviewed 22/09/2026) lists, effective 1 April 2026, a new licence of up to 5 years at £1,260 and a renewal at £900. Fees are paid in full with the online application, cannot be paid in instalments and are non-refundable. Extra charges apply only where the council takes enforcement action. The same fee table covers mandatory and additional licences.

  Who needs one

  HMOs occupied by five or more people forming two or more households who share basic amenities (national test).

  Exemptions

  Statutory exemptions under Schedule 14 to the Housing Act 2004.

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

  Applications are made online through the council's Idox portal. Licences last up to 5 years, are not transferable and end when the property is sold. The council publishes an HMO register (July 2026 spreadsheet linked from the HMO licensing information page).

  Sources

  • gloucester.gov.uk: hmo licensing application and fees
  • gloucester.gov.uk: hmo licensing information

Council source

Gloucester's civil penalty policy

• Additional HMO licensing and non-immediate Article 4 Direction consultation (2 March to 11 May 2026; outcome recorded in the designation notice)Approved

  Closed 11 May 2026

We could not settle these points when we researched Gloucester. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

• Not yet confirmed

  The 2026 Civil Penalties Policy Statement of Principles (Appendix 3 to the April 2026 Enforcement and Regulation Policy) was not located; the council still publishes the December 2024 statement (£30,000 maximum), so penalty bands under the Renters' Rights Act maximums are unconfirmed.

• Not yet confirmed

  No selective licensing scheme or proposal was found on the council HMO pages, the 2026 consultation pages or in web searches; the council does not state its absence.

• Not yet confirmed

  The original consultation page (have-your-say/additional-hmo-licensing-consultation) now returns 404; consultation dates are taken from the designation notice.

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Gloucester 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