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Council licensing · West Midlands

Licensing in Worcester

Worcester has additional HMO licensing across the whole council area.

Researched 14 October 2026 · Independently checked 14 October 2026

Check a specific address in Worcester

We match the postcode to its ward and the schemes below.

Licensing, ward by ward

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  • Additional HMO licensing area16

Additional HMO licensing also covers the whole council area.

Current ONS ward boundaries. Exemptions apply. Use the postcode check and scheme details for your property.

Selective licensing
None
Additional HMO licensing
Yes, whole council area
Article 4 on house shares
Yes
Consultation
None open

Licensing schemes

  • Additional HMO licence

    In forceMedium confidence

    The Worcester City Council Designation of Additional Wards for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2025

    Area

    The entire City of Worcester.

    Runs
    1 September 2025 to 30 August 2030
    Fee

    Not yet confirmed

    The current fee page could not be read: worcester.gov.uk serves a JavaScript bot challenge to automated requests. The last archived copy of the council's fee page (Wayback Machine, 3 November 2024) shows 2024-25 fees. Additional licence: £1,119 for 2 to 4 units of accommodation; £1,180 for 5 to 7 units and £1,280 for 8 or more (section 257 HMOs only). Renewals: £1,003 / £1,063 / £1,162. Other charges: a £202 penalty fee for an unlicensed HMO on top of the licence fee, £73 per reminder letter, £100 per emergency inspection for incomplete applications, £60 for pre-application advice, and £75 for a missed inspection. The council's HMO application portal says that since April 2025 the fee is paid in two parts: Part A with the application (calculated automatically) and Part B after the property has been inspected.

    Who needs one
    All HMOs as defined by section 254 of the Housing Act 2004 that are occupied by 3 or more persons forming 2 or more households and do not need a mandatory licence, whatever the number of storeys. This includes single-storey flats and section 257 flats (converted flats that meet the section 257 test).
    Notes
    This is a renewal of a scheme that has run in Worcester since September 2015. The Communities Committee agreed on 29 January 2025 to renew it to 2030 after public consultation (council news, 31 January 2025). The designation was made on 21 May 2025 under the 2015 general approval and came into force on 1 September 2025. The notice says 'The designation shall cease to have effect on 31 August 2030', so end_date is 30 August 2030, the last day in force. The scheme facts come from the statutory public notice as published in the Worcester Observer (9 and 24 June 2025, via publicnoticeportal.uk) and from the council's HMO application portal, which confirms the city-wide designation of 21 May 2025. The council's own scheme page could not be read because of the bot challenge. The notice was signed by Sian Stroud for the council and says failing to licence can lead to an unlimited fine or a civil penalty of no more than £30,000, which predates the Renters' Rights Act £40,000 maximum. It replaced two designations that both ended on 31 August 2025: the 2020 scheme (St John, St Clement, Bedwardine, Cathedral and Arboretum wards, from 1 September 2020) and the 2023 scheme (Battenhall, Claines, Gorse Hill, Nunnery, Rainbow Hill, St Peters, St Stephens, Warndon, Warndon Parish North and Warndon Parish South, from 6 September 2023). Small HMOs across the whole city have needed a licence since 6 September 2023. Licences last up to 5 years. The licence standards and conditions document (version 7) was approved by the Communities Committee on 15 March 2024. Licensing is separate from planning, and a C3 to C4 change of use also needs planning permission (Article 4). On 14 October 2026 the HMO application portal showed 'This service is temporarily unavailable as our payment provider is experiencing issues'.
    Apply on the council siteLicence conditions

    Sources

  • Mandatory HMO licence

    In forceMedium confidence

    Mandatory HMO licensing (national scheme, Worcester City fees)

    Area

    The whole City of Worcester (national scheme).

    Fee

    Not yet confirmed

    The current fee page could not be read (bot challenge). Archived 2024-25 fees (Wayback, 3 November 2024), new application: up to 5 units £1,535; 6 to 8 £1,552; 9 to 15 £1,569; 16 to 23 £1,602; 24 or more £1,636. Renewal made before the existing licence expires: £1,413 / £1,429 / £1,446 / £1,481 / £1,515. Two-part payment (Part A and Part B) since April 2025, according to the council's application portal.

    Who needs one
    HMOs with 5 or more occupants forming 2 or more households and sharing facilities.
    Exemptions
    Statutory exemptions under Schedule 14, Housing Act 2004.
    Notes
    This is the national scheme. Worcester publishes its own page and fees, but the live pages could not be read during research. The council contacts licence holders 6 weeks before a licence expires. On 14 October 2026 the HMO application portal showed 'This service is temporarily unavailable as our payment provider is experiencing issues'.
    Apply on the council siteLicence conditions

    Sources

Article 4 for house shares

Worcester has an Article 4 direction on houses in multiple occupation. Turning a family home into a shared house may need planning permission.

Area
The whole council area
Takes effect
1 July 2014

Council source

Civil penalty policy

Not yet confirmed

Where Worcester publishes its civil penalty policy.

Consultations

Not yet confirmed

These points were unresolved when we researched Worcester on 14 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

  • Not yet confirmed

    Current (2026-27) additional and mandatory HMO licence fees: the council fee page (https://www.worcester.gov.uk/housing/landlord-advice/private-sector-housing-fees) is behind a JavaScript bot challenge, and the only archived copy is the 2024-25 table. Confirm the current Part A and Part B amounts with the council (01905 722288, privatehousing@worcester.gov.uk).

  • Not yet confirmed

    No civil penalty policy, and no Renters' Rights Act update, was found for Worcester City Council.

  • Not yet confirmed

    The consultation closing date (6 January 2025) comes from the NRLA's December 2024 licensing update, not the council's own page.

  • Not yet confirmed

    The designation's exemptions are not stated in the public notice. The full designation order, and the council's scheme page (https://www.worcester.gov.uk/housing/landlord-advice/additional-licensing-of-hmos), which lists the Designation Notice and Order PDFs, could not be retrieved because of the bot challenge.

  • Not yet confirmed

    Not independently re-checked (verification of 2026-10-14): worcester.gov.uk served a bot challenge, so the scheme page, designation order, current fees, the city-wide Article 4 direction (1 July 2014; planning.data.gov.uk holds no Worcester records) and any civil penalty policy could not be read live; the designation's exemptions and the replaced 2020 and 2023 designations were not re-checked; and no wider web search for other schemes was possible.

Landlord register

Licensing is separate from the national landlord register. Worcester is in West Midlands, where the planned registration window runs from 15 December 2026 to 14 March 2027. The regulations are still in draft. Register dates, fee and documents