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

The fee, from York’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.

The only fee figures found are from a 2022-dated 'proposed' committee document (PDF metadata confirms 2022 creation date) -- these may since have changed and are NOT presented as the current 2026 fee. All numeric fee fields left null; the 2022 proposal numbers are recorded only in fee_detail as historical context, clearly flagged as unconfirmed-current.

Who needs a licence in York

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. Targeted wards of the city (per the 2022 proposal; specific wards not identified in the extracted document). 'Under the proposed Additional HMO Licensing Scheme the threshold for licensing a HMO in the targeted wards of the city will be 3 tenants or more living there forming more than 1 household.' Whether this proposal was adopted, and on what date, is not confirmed 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 York numbers around an HMO

• How many HMOs: the council estimated 4,000 HMOs in York, of which 1,200 were mandatory-licensable and 1,154 licences had been issued (LAHS 2024-25, MHCLG) — every council’s figures.
• Rents: the average 4+-bedroom rent in York is £1,738 a month (ONS, July 2026) against £1,193 across all sizes — rents, prices and yield in York.
• EPC: 45% 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 York).
• Council tax: Band D is £2,287 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 York splits its fee, if it does).

Apply or check on York’s site

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