HMO Licence in Newham: Fee, Who Needs One and How to Apply
A new mandatory HMO licence in Newham costs £1,400 for 5 years — £280 a year, renewal £1,400, on the council’s own fee page read 5 September 2026.
The fee, from Newham’s own page
| New application | £1,400 |
| Renewal | £1,400 |
| Fee structure | banded |
| Licence length | 5 years |
| Cost per year of licence | £280 |
| Against the 34 councils with a verified fee | 15 of 34 (1 = dearest); median £1,364 |
'Mandatory (HMO) licence applications (New or Renewal)... Number of lettings | Part A Fee | Part B Fee | Total. Up to 5 lettings £450 £950 £1,400. 6 to 9 lettings £450 £1,100 £1,550. 10 to 14 lettings £450 £1,250 £1,700. 15 to 19 lettings £450 £1,400 £1,850. 20 to 29 lettings £600 £2,000 £2,600. 30 to 39 lettings £750 £2,600 £3,350. 40 to 49 lettings £900 £3,200 £4,100. 50 to 59 lettings £1,050 £3,800 £4,850. 60 to 69 lettings £1,200 £4,400 £5,600. 70 to 79 lettings £1,350 £5,000 £6,350. With £750 overall increase per additional 10 lettings (for 80 lettings upwards).' £50 discount for accredited-landlord-association membership; another £50 for EPC C+ rating.
All three licence types (mandatory, additional, selective) fully captured with fee tables and discounts.
Newham’s new-licence fee sits above 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 Newham
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. Borough-wide (per page structure; specific designation areas not extracted). Fee £1,250. 'Additional (HMO) Licence Applicants who apply for a property that is shared by three to four people forming two or more households. All applicants will be required to pay Part A £400 and Part B £850 for up to a five-year licence.' Total £1,250. Discounted £800 total (£250+£550) for newly private-rented properties with EPC C+. Check the scheme map before letting to three or four sharers.
Selective licensing (all private lets in an area): yes. Borough-wide. Fee £750. 'Selective licence Applicants who apply for a property with one family or household, or 2 unrelated people. All applicants will be required to pay Part A £400 and Part B £350 for up to a five-year licence.' Total £750. Discounted £400 for newly private-rented EPC C+ properties; multi-dwelling discounts also apply (£700 for 2nd+ property in same block). Inside a selective area every private tenancy needs a licence, HMO or not.
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 Newham numbers around an HMO
- How many HMOs: the council estimated 9,500 HMOs in Newham, of which 1,700 were mandatory-licensable and 1,678 licences had been issued (LAHS 2024-25, MHCLG) — every council’s figures.
- Rents: the average 4+-bedroom rent in Newham is £2,671 a month (ONS, July 2026) against £1,927 across all sizes — rents, prices and yield in Newham.
- EPC: 32% 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 Newham).
- Council tax: Band D is £1,944 for 2026/27; in an HMO let room by room the landlord is usually the liable person (council tax in Newham).
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 Newham splits its fee, if it does).
Apply or check on Newham’s site
All councils compared · Student HMOs and Ground 4A · Renters’ Rights Act rules
Asked about HMO licences in Newham
£1,400 for a new application and £1,400 to renew, according to the council's own fee page read 5 September 2026.
5 years, so the fee works out at £280 a year.
Possibly — the council runs additional licensing (Borough-wide (per page structure; specific designation areas not extracted)).
On the council's own site: https://www.newham.gov.uk/landlords-newham/rented-property-licensing
Sources
Read 5 September 2026 on the council’s own site. National rule: House in multiple occupation licence (GOV.UK). Fees change at each council’s budget; the council page is authoritative on the day you apply.