Licensing in Westmorland and Furness

• Mandatory HMO licence

  In force

  Mandatory HMO licensing

  Area

  Whole Westmorland and Furness Council administrative area, comprising the former Barrow-in-Furness, Eden and South Lakeland districts. This is housing licensing coverage; National Park planning boundaries are a separate matter.

  Fee

  Published standard fee: £700

  The council's 2026/27 schedule publishes £700 for both new applications and renewals, plus £20 for each additional occupier above five. The current HMO webpage and March 2026 enforcement policy instead describe £700 for a five-bedroom property plus £20 per additional room. Confirm which basis applies before calculating a larger property's fee. The schedule also charges £150 for a manager-related variation requiring a fit and proper review, and £150 for another variation covering five occupants plus £20 per additional occupier. It lists additional correspondence at £38 per hour. No current early application or accreditation discount is stated in the 2026/27 HMO table. Older legacy district amounts and earlier-year discounts are not used as current fees. The schedule's description incorrectly says one household; the HMO page and application form correctly require at least two. The August 2026-labelled application form still gives £534 for up to five people and £34 per additional letting room. Those older form figures conflict with the current £700/£20 webpage and 2026/27 schedule and should not be used without council confirmation.

  Who needs one

  HMOs rented to five or more people forming at least two households, with shared basic amenities, subject to the statutory prescribed description. Each licensable HMO needs its own licence.

  Exemptions

  Statutory HMO licensing exclusions and temporary exemptions apply. A wider HMO definition, including some converted buildings, does not mean that every such building needs a mandatory licence.

  Apply on the council’s website
  ›How we checked this

  Licences can last up to five years and limit occupancy according to the property's size and facilities. The new unitary council took over the former district areas on 1 April 2023. Its current HMO page and fee schedule give a common new and renewal base fee, rather than separate Barrow, Eden and South Lakeland prices. The maintained South Lakeland licensing page, updated 31 March 2026, explicitly says no additional scheme and no selective landlord licensing in that former district. No current optional designation for the wider new council was established. An older Barrow report proposed selective licensing at Egerton Court; a 2017 committee pack records in-principle approval in July 2016 but does not establish a signed designation, commencement or present status. Do not treat that historical proposal as an operative licence requirement. The August 2026 application form and current HMO page retain older section 21 and £30,000 wording, which must not be relied upon as current law. At Council on 30 July 2026, a member again requested additional HMO licensing powers for Barrow. The Cabinet Member said additional funding was being sought and the council lacked the in-house expertise to take this forward, with a further update promised. This is evidence of discussion and resource work, not an adopted designation or a defined statutory consultation.

  Sources

  • westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk: houses multiple occupation hmos
  • westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk: WAF HMO Application Form updated August 2026 (accessible August 2026) (PDF)
  • westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk: fees and charges
  • westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk: Westmorland and Furness Council Fees and Charges Schedule 2026 to 2027 (PDF)
  • westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk: WF Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy V1.3 March 2026 (PDF)
  • southlakeland.gov.uk: houses in multiple occupation hmo licensing
  • westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk: town criers proclaim new council
  • westmorlandandfurness.moderngov.co.uk: mgAi
  • westmorlandandfurness.moderngov.co.uk: mgAi
  • barrowbc.gov.uk: 3761 (PDF)
  • barrowbc.gov.uk: 5161 (PDF)

Council source

Westmorland and Furness's civil penalty policy

We found no consultations when we researched Westmorland and Furness.

We could not settle these points when we researched Westmorland and Furness on 15 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

• Not yet confirmed

  Resolve the current HMO supplement: the 2026/27 schedule says £20 per additional occupier above five, while the HMO page and March enforcement policy say per additional room. Ask the council to confirm the actual quotation for the property.

• Not yet confirmed

  Confirm the present outcome of the historical Egerton Court selective licensing proposal in the former Barrow area. Primary 2016 and 2017 reports establish a proposal and in-principle approval, not a signed operative designation or current scheme: https://www.barrowbc.gov.uk/sites/default/files/attachment/3761.pdf and https://www.barrowbc.gov.uk/sites/default/files/attachment/5161.pdf.

• Not yet confirmed

  Confirm whether there are any current or recently expired optional schemes, future designations or live consultations across the former Barrow and Eden areas. The South Lakeland page explicitly reports none there; targeted current unitary and legacy searches did not establish a designation elsewhere, which is not definitive absence assurance.

• Not yet confirmed

  Recover the current RRA civil penalty matrix, formal approval and effective date. The council still links the March 2026 revision of its earlier policy, with no RRA provisions established in that document.

• Not yet confirmed

  Check property-specific planning restrictions with the correct planning authority, including a National Park authority where relevant. Current guidance is qualified and does not establish universal C3-to-C4 permitted development rights.

• Not yet confirmed

  Obtain the actual issued HMO licence conditions and any shorter term. The application pack and general standards are not the full individual licence.

• Not yet confirmed

  Check the promised follow-up to the 30 July 2026 Council discussion of extra HMO licensing powers for Barrow. Funding and expertise work was described, but no designated area, statutory consultation dates or operative scheme was established. The August-labelled application form also retains older £534/£34 fees despite the current £700/£20 schedule and webpage.

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Westmorland and Furness is in North West, where registration is planned from 15 May 2027 to 14 August 2027. The regulations are still in draft. Read about the register