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

The fee, from Oxford’s own page

Category A Higher Rate New Application (HMO operating unlicensed >12 weeks): Stage 1 £407, Stage 2 £2,783, Total £3,190. Category C Standard Renewal: Stage 1 £130, Stage 2 £262, Total £392. Category D Higher Rate Renewal: Stage 1 £130, Stage 2 £614, Total £744. Category E Two-year renewal: Stage 1 £130, Stage 2 £302, Total £432. Category F Five-year renewal: Stage 1 £130, Stage 2 £480, Total £610. Prior year (1 April 2025) figures also shown for comparison: Cat B total £780, Cat C total £356, etc.

fee_new_gbp uses Category B (standard 1-year new application, the baseline before any longer licence is earned); fee_renewal_gbp uses Category C (standard annual renewal). Longer-licence renewal figures (2yr £432, 5yr £610) also captured in fee_detail.

Oxford’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 Oxford

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. Citywide additional licensing scheme (see oxford.gov.uk/houses-multiple-occupation-hmos/additional-licensing-scheme). Fee £858. Fee page explicitly covers 'either mandatory or additional' HMO licences under the same category table -- same fees apply. Check the scheme map before letting to three or four sharers.

Selective licensing (all private lets in an area): yes. Referenced for non-HMO 1-2 person units within purpose-built student blocks; wider selective scheme not detailed here. Page notes 'if any flats are not HMOs and are 1 or 2 person units, these units will need a Selective Licence' but doesn't give the selective fee on this page. 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 Oxford numbers around an HMO

• How many HMOs: the council estimated 3,056 HMOs in Oxford, of which 1,797 were mandatory-licensable and 1,797 licences had been issued (LAHS 2024-25, MHCLG) — every council’s figures.
• Rents: the average 4+-bedroom rent in Oxford is £2,863 a month (ONS, July 2026) against £1,966 across all sizes — rents, prices and yield in Oxford.
• EPC: 42% 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 Oxford).
• Council tax: Band D is £2,678 for 2026/27; in an HMO let room by room the landlord is usually the liable person (council tax in Oxford).

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 Oxford splits its fee, if it does).

Apply or check on Oxford’s site

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