Get yourHMO Licenceapproved!
If you want to legally rent your property to multiple tenants, you may need an HMO licence, planning permission, or both. We’ll help you figure out exactly what’s required.
Don't worry - at Barnab, we make the process simple, fast, and hassle-free.
If you want to legally rent your property to multiple tenants, you may need an HMO licence, planning permission, or both. We’ll help you figure out exactly what’s required.
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What do I need to run an HMO?
Depending on where your property is located, it's size and past history, you may need an HMO Licence, a planning application, or both.
You might need to get:
HMO mandatory or additional licence
Change of use planning application
Certificate of lawfulness for building regulations
Key information
Here’s what you need to know about the whole process
- Time to complete
- 1-2 days
- Barnab fee
- £200 + VAT
- Council fee
- Not applicable
Selective, Additional or Mandatory HMO licence: which one do you need?
The right licence depends on how many tenants live in your property and how many households they form.
Selective Licence
1-2 tenants or a single family renting your property
- Where it applies
- Only in areas your council has designated for selective licensing
- Typical council fee
- Around £900, varies by council
- Licence duration
- Up to 5 years
- If you skip it
- Civil penalty up to £30,000 and rent repayment orders
- Barnab fee
- £250 + VAT
Still not sure which licence applies to your rental? Read our guide Do I Need an HMO or Selective Licence? or the Renters Rights Act 2025 guide covering the latest HMO and property licensing changes.
How does Barnab help?
Step by step guide to get you through the application process.
Answer our questions
Spend just 5 minutes answering simple questions, no forms, no jargon.
Upload your floor plan
If you don't have one, we help you generate one!
We generate your report
We will send you a report showing exactly which policies you don't comply with and whether your full applications will succeed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Something’s not clear? You will find an answer below!
It depends on your property and local council rules. Some landlords need both, others only need one. Sometimes you run a small HMO without any applications. Don’t worry, we’ll tell you exactly what applies to your property for free.
You’ll need a floor plan, proof of ownership or management, and details about safety measures (like smoke alarms and fire doors). We’ll guide you through everything and review your documents before submission.
In some areas, councils use Article 4 to restrict small HMOs (usually 3–6 tenants). If your property is in one of these areas, you’ll need to apply for planning permission before renting it out. We’ll check this for you as part of our free assessment.
In two cases: when you plan to run an HMO for 7 or more people, or when an Article 4 direction applies in your area. We’ll check this for you as part of our free assessment.
Most councils take 4–8 weeks to issue the licence, depending on how busy they are. The good news? You can usually rent your property to tenants while your application is being processed.
Most councils take 4–8 weeks to issue the licence, depending on how busy they are. Unlike with the licence application, you have to wait for the decision.
For HMO licensing, council fees vary depending on where your property is and how many tenants you plan to have. Most are between £1,000–£2,000. For planning applications, the council fee is £462.
You can, but HMO applications involve long forms, floor plans, and council-specific rules. Mistakes are easy to make and costly to fix. We make sure everything’s done right the first time, fast and hassle-free.
We’ll help you understand the reasons and prepare a response. In most cases, rejections happen because of missing info or unclear plans, both of which we help you avoid from the start.
Yes, every application needs a floor plan showing the layout, room sizes, and safety features. If you don’t have one, we’ll help you create it using a sketch or video of your property.
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