Houses in multiple occupation

You can request an application form by emailing our Environmental Health team at environmentalhealth@melton.gov.uk and make payment by telephoning Customer Services on 01664 502502.

If you are applying for a licence you will also need to provide contact details for all interested parties, including:

• Applicant
• Proposed licence holder with proof of identity (passport or driving licence photo card scan)
• Manager(s)
• Owner/Joint owners
• Any long-term tenant(s)/leaseholder(s)
• Any other person willing to be bound by the conditions of the licence
• The mortgage provider(s)

You must inform all of these people of your intention to apply for an HMO licence before submitting your application. You will be asked to provide the date on which you (the applicant) informed each party.

You must also provide details of:

•  Knowledge of a criminal record, if any, of the applicant, proposed licence holder and manager
• Details of relevant accreditations, qualifications and professional memberships
• Knowledge of the existing planning status of the house
• Details regarding the facilities and amenities of the house
• Details of the tenancy agreement(s)
• Details of the scheme in which the tenancy deposits are held

Supporting documents

You must provide all of the following supporting documents and certificates:

• If the licence holder is a person, valid photo ID – a passport or driving licence (full or provisional)
• A current, valid gas safety certificate
• A current, valid electrical safety certificate – Electrical Installation Certificate or Periodic Inspection Report
• A current, valid fire alarm test certificate
• A current, valid emergency lighting test certificate, if there is emergency lighting in the property
• An energy performance certificate (EPC)
• A PAT certificate for any electrical equipment supplied to the tenants that is more than a year old

If your house is in an Article 4 area, you must show it’s allowed to be used as an HMO. You can send:

• A past HMO licence
• A Lawful Development Certificate
• A decision letter from a planning application

If a certificate has more than one page, send all the pages.
If your house has emergency lights or Grade D fire alarms, you can send a self-check form instead of a certificate from an electrician.

The Government has issued guidance on fire safety to assist in understanding what must be done for HMOs to comply with the Housing Act 2004 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The intention of this guidance is to ensure that there is a consistent risk assessment approach in private rented properties by both Fire Services and Local Authorities.  Compliance with the guidance should in most cases also satisfy the HMO licensing requirement. 

It is a requirement that all HMOs (not just licensed HMOs) have a fire risk assessment conducted and the appropriate fire safety measures put in place.

Before issuing a HMO licence we must be satisfied that the property is suitable for the number of occupants applied for and that it is safe. Resources and information such as the minimum space and amenity standards that all licensed HMO must meet can be found on the DASH Services website.

These standards vary depending on the type of HMO such as bedsits, shared houses (such as student houses), hostels etc. and cover:

• Minimum bedroom sizes
• The number of bathrooms and toilets required
• The minimum size of the kitchen / shared living space and the number of cooking facilities

All HMO licences must have mandatory conditions attached to them. These conditions cover issues including:

• The maximum number of occupants and households.
• Gas safety.
• Electrical Safety.
• Fire safety.
• Kitchen and bathroom amenities.
• Management standards including the requirement for the licence holder to be a fit and proper person.
• Landlord and tenant agreements.

In addition, we can add discretionary conditions where it is deemed appropriate to do so.

It is a criminal offence to break any of the licence conditions or to not maintain a HMO in a safe and reasonable condition. The landlord or licence holder can be prosecuted for this offence and fined an unlimited amount.

All licensed HMOs will be inspected as part of the application process and a further inspection will be conducted approximately halfway through the five year term of the licence.  We can carry out additional inspections if they deem it necessary (for example if complaints from the tenants are received).

If serious health and safety issues are identified, we can take legal action to protect the occupants. This can include serving legal notices requiring the landlord to make repairs, or in the most serious cases it can conduct emergency repairs or close all or parts of the property.

Payment can be made by calling our customer service team on 01664 502502.

The fee reflects the amount of work that we are required to carry out on a standard application and the monitoring during the licence period. There are reduced fees for applications to renew existing licences and for multiple applications received at the same time. The fee is split into two parts; the application fee covers the cost of processing the licence and is non-refundable if the application is not successful or is withdrawn.

There is a separate charge to cover the costs of the licensing scheme during the period of the licence, which is payable once a licence has been issued.  You may pay the whole charge together if you prefer. There are reduced fees where more than one application is made at the same time.

The following fees are for the financial year of 2025-2026.

First Application

Renewals

Late payment charge where application received after renewal date/number of persons increased without notification to the local authority = £139

Additional Charges

Public Register

A list of our current licences, permits and registrations are available to view on our online public registers. 

If the property you suspect is not on that register, you can contact us with the address and any other relevant information so that we can investigate further.