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

The fee, from Hull’s own page

'The cost of applying for a new licence or renewing an existing licence are - Standard HMO Licence Fee: The fee charged for a new HMO licence, or the late renewal of an HMO licence that has already expired - 3 bedrooms: £225 + £629.50; 4 bedrooms: £225 + £657.25; 5 bedrooms: £225 + £685; 6 bedrooms: £225 + £712.75; 7 bedrooms: £225 + £740.50; 8 bedrooms: £225 + £768.25; 9 bedrooms: £225 + £796; 10 bedrooms: £225 + £823.75 + £27.75 per additional bedroom above 10.' Same tiered schedule quoted again under 'Standard HMO Licence Renewal Fee'.

Base rooms in this schedule start at 3 bedrooms (£225+£629.50=£854.50); used the 5-bedroom tier (£225+£685=£910) as the fee_new_gbp/fee_renewal_gbp baseline since the task spec calls for the council's baseline room count and the national mandatory threshold is 5+ occupants. Identical fee schedule applies to new and renewal per the page text (both tables show the same numbers).

Hull’s new-licence fee sits below the median of the 34 councils whose fee we could read from their own pages (£1,364). The cheapest verified is Islington at £288 and the dearest Lambeth at £2,530; fee structures differ — some charge per room or in occupancy bands, so a large HMO can cost far more than the headline figure above.

Who needs a licence in Hull

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): not confirmed either way on the pages we read — check the council’s licensing pages before letting to fewer than five.

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 Hull numbers around an HMO

• How many HMOs: the council estimated 4,000 HMOs in Hull, of which 1,000 were mandatory-licensable and 338 licences had been issued (LAHS 2024-25, MHCLG) — every council’s figures.
• Rents: the average 4+-bedroom rent in Hull is £981 a month (ONS, July 2026) against £691 across all sizes — rents, prices and yield in Kingston upon Hull.
• EPC: 38% 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 Kingston upon Hull).
• Council tax: Band D is £2,295 for 2026/27; in an HMO let room by room the landlord is usually the liable person.

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 Hull splits its fee, if it does).

Apply or check on Hull’s site

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