HMO Licence in Cardiff: Fee, Who Needs One and How to Apply

The fee, from Cardiff’s own page

The council’s page describes a mandatory-licence fee structure but the amount was not readable on the page or PDF we could open, so no figure is shown here. Use the council link below for the current schedule.

used srs.wales (the regional regulatory body that runs Cardiff licensing) instead. Fee amounts are not published as plain text on the page (dynamically loaded charges table) so left null rather than guessed.

Who needs a licence in Cardiff

The national rule is the same everywhere in England and Wales — gov.uk: “You must have a licence if you’re renting out a large HMO in England or Wales. Your property is defined as a large HMO if all of the following apply: it is rented to 5 or more people who form more than 1 household; some or all tenants share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities; at least 1 tenant pays rent (or their employer pays it for them).” … “A licence is valid for a maximum of 5 years. You must renew your licence before it runs out. You need a separate licence for each HMO you run.” Whether a smaller shared house needs a licence depends on whether the council runs an additional or selective scheme:

Additional licensing (smaller HMOs): yes. Cathays and Plasnewydd wards. Scheme dates: from 2023-02-01. srs.wales: 'Cardiff Council has declared two areas within Cardiff as Additional Licensing Schemes, namely Cathays and Plasnewydd. The Additional Licensing Scheme in Cathays came into effect on 1 February 2023 for a period of 5 years.' A separate scheme also referenced going live 1 January 2021 for 5 years (likely Plasnewydd or a renewal) -- exact scheme/date pairing not disambiguated in this pass. Check the scheme map before letting to three or four sharers.

Selective licensing (all private lets in an area): not confirmed either way on the pages we read — check the council’s licensing pages before letting to fewer than five.

Letting a licensable HMO without a licence is an offence; the penalties, rent repayment orders and the fee’s tax treatment are on the HMO licence in England guide.

The Cardiff numbers around an HMO

• Rents: the average 4+-bedroom rent in Cardiff is £1,693 a month (ONS, July 2026) against £1,169 across all sizes — rents, prices and yield in Cardiff.
• EPC: 33% of EPCs lodged here in the last year were below band C, the level a rented home needs by 1 October 2030 (EPC ratings in Cardiff).

How to apply

Applications go to the council, not to a national body. Have the floor plans, gas and electrical certificates, fire-safety details and the manager’s details ready; most councils take a non-refundable first payment on submission and the balance on grant (the quote above shows where Cardiff splits its fee, if it does).

Apply or check on Cardiff’s site

All councils compared · Student HMOs and Ground 4A · Renters’ Rights Act rules