INDEPENDENT UK HOUSING GUIDE · UPDATED 2026-10-17
HMO licensing: mandatory, additional and selective schemes
A house-share can be subject to different licensing rules depending on the size of the property, the applicable council designation, and the relevant date.
Mandatory HMO licensing
In England, a large HMO generally requires a mandatory licence if occupied by five or more people forming more than one household and sharing facilities. Ask the council about the specific property, exemptions and current licence requirements.
Additional licensing
A council may designate additional licensing covering certain smaller HMOs or other specified categories. These schemes have start and end dates. An old licence does not show that a scheme remains active today.
Selective licensing is different
Selective licensing is a separate local scheme affecting certain private rented accommodation within designated areas. Its coverage and exemptions differ from mandatory and additional HMO licensing. A property owner may need to consider more than one regime.
Planning permission is not an HMO licence
Permission for a change from a family home to shared housing may be a planning question. Even if planning consent is granted, HMO licence requirements may still apply; likewise a licence does not automatically establish planning permission.
How our directory labels evidence
We identify whether information comes from a published council source, a dated historical register, an application, a planning lead or an unverified advertisement. We do not combine these categories as though they were all operating HMOs.
Original official sources
Verify the relevant date and policy on the original pages: