Which council has the most HMOs?

Leeds, with an estimated 21,000 HMOs in its 2024/25 return, of which 3,500 were estimated to need a mandatory licence.

Does this show selective licensing areas?

No. The national return only covers mandatory HMO licensing; selective and additional schemes are designated locally and there is no official list of them — check the council for the property's postcode.

What is a mandatory HMO licence?

The licence a large HMO needs in England: a property rented to five or more people who form more than one household, with the fee set by the council.

How current are these numbers?

They are the 2024/25 Local Authority Housing Statistics return, the latest MHCLG has published (file updated 12 June 2026); the next return follows in 2027.

HMO Licensing by Council: Licences Issued, England 2024/25

What this table is — and is not

Every English council reports to MHCLG each year how many houses in multiple occupation it estimates it has, how many of those need a mandatory licence (a large HMO: five or more people from more than one household), how many licences it has issued, and how many licensable HMOs have a Category 1 hazard. That return is the Local Authority Housing Statistics, and the 2024/25 figures are below. It does not record additional or selective licensing schemes — the ones that pull smaller HMOs or every private let in an area into licensing — because no national dataset of those exists. For those, the only source is your council; the rules are on HMO licences in England.

Councils with the most HMOs

Fifteen councils reporting the most HMOs, 2024/25
Council	Region	Estimated HMOs	Need a mandatory licence	Licences issued
Leeds	Yorkshire and The Humber	21,000	3,500	2,938
Liverpool	North West	16,494	2,882	2,393
Bristol	South West	13,349	5,300	3,668
Birmingham	West Midlands	11,933	4,000	2,437
Sheffield	Yorkshire and The Humber	11,000	2,200	1,508
Leicester	East Midlands	9,649	2,249	1,100
Newham	London	9,500	1,700	1,678
Tower Hamlets	London	9,000	924	765
Ealing	London	8,360	3,429	1,715
Kensington and Chelsea	London	8,244	900	166
Camden	London	8,000	600	316
Coventry	West Midlands	6,800	2,500	1,620
Nottingham	East Midlands	6,200	2,832	2,712
Hackney	London	6,038	1,050	121
Haringey	London	6,037	1,787	1,787

Across the 296 councils: 458,855 estimated HMOs, 132,246 estimated to need a mandatory licence, 95,217 licences issued — coverage of 72%. Where a council reports more licences than licensable HMOs the estimate is the weaker number; where far fewer, either the estimate is high or enforcement is behind.

Every council, searchable

Find your council

Region

Mandatory HMO licensing by council, LAHS 2024/25 (council estimates)
Council	Region	Est. HMOs	Need licence	Issued	Coverage	Cat 1 hazard
Adur	South East	320	35	21	60%	3
Amber Valley	East Midlands	50	31	31	100%	0
Arun	South East	1,396	391	184	47%	19
Ashfield	East Midlands	201	135	129	96%	5
Ashford	South East	325	200	184	92%	2
Babergh	East of England	40	23	23	100%	1
Barking and Dagenham	London	640	320	138	43%	31
Barnet	London	3,760	2,181	730	33%	30
Barnsley	Yorkshire and The Humber	451	196	192	98%	9
Basildon	East of England	470	297	274	92%	0
Basingstoke and Deane	South East	150	91	83	91%	3
Bassetlaw	East Midlands	169	67	67	100%	0
Bath and North East Somerset	South West	3,102	1,138	1,115	98%	6
Bedford	East of England	673	397	395	99%	7
Bexley	London	1,931	383	254	66%	—
Birmingham	West Midlands	11,933	4,000	2,437	61%	20
Blaby	East Midlands	60	27	27	100%	0
Blackburn with Darwen	North West	193	45	45	100%	0
Blackpool	North West	2,000	70	70	100%	20
Bolsover	East Midlands	22	22	20	91%	0
Bolton	North West	720	195	190	97%	3
Boston	East Midlands	375	150	97	65%	0
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole	South West	4,109	1,649	1,435	87%	3
Bracknell Forest	South East	480	210	139	66%	0
Bradford	Yorkshire and The Humber	1,450	402	352	88%	11
Braintree	East of England	779	177	36	20%	2
Breckland	East of England	500	150	59	39%	1
Brent	London	4,839	3,735	2,487	67%	47
Brentwood	East of England	200	55	48	87%	0
Brighton and Hove	South East	4,500	2,065	1,891	92%	1
Bristol	South West	13,349	5,300	3,668	69%	32
Broadland	East of England	80	45	23	51%	0
Bromley	London	3,400	350	318	91%	—
Bromsgrove	West Midlands	80	40	23	57%	32
Broxbourne	East of England	63	63	63	100%	0
Broxtowe	East Midlands	795	354	313	88%	0
Buckinghamshire	South East	3,200	1,215	398	33%	15
Burnley	North West	220	80	67	84%	0
Bury	North West	500	160	141	88%	—
Calderdale	Yorkshire and The Humber	250	100	21	21%	11
Cambridge	East of England	3,787	1,450	851	59%	2
Camden	London	8,000	600	316	53%	3
Cannock Chase	West Midlands	60	35	33	94%	2
Canterbury	South East	3,890	1,110	719	65%	—
Castle Point	East of England	65	16	16	100%	0
Central Bedfordshire	East of England	4,261	594	71	12%	2
Charnwood	East Midlands	1,621	839	839	100%	8
Chelmsford	East of England	526	255	225	88%	13
Cheltenham	South West	3,000	387	387	100%	27
Cherwell	South East	1,000	240	229	95%	1
Cheshire East	North West	814	259	259	100%	0
Cheshire West and Chester	North West	1,717	690	529	77%	7
Chesterfield	East Midlands	250	53	44	83%	3
Chichester	South East	1,108	272	161	59%	0
Chorley	North West	56	20	19	95%	0
City of London	London	100	20	6	30%	0
Colchester	East of England	1,500	550	374	68%	6
Cornwall	South West	1,900	750	602	80%	5
Cotswold	South West	134	54	54	100%	0
County Durham	North East	1,650	980	965	98%	0
Coventry	West Midlands	6,800	2,500	1,620	65%	—
Crawley	South East	1,062	300	269	90%	0
Croydon	London	0	—	—	—	—
Cumberland	North West	876	236	220	93%	8
Dacorum	East of England	1,100	240	133	55%	1
Darlington	North East	450	70	50	71%	1
Dartford	South East	784	141	72	51%	1
Derby	East Midlands	1,000	750	704	94%	0
Derbyshire Dales	East Midlands	6	3	3	100%	0
Doncaster	Yorkshire and The Humber	854	480	480	100%	3
Dorset	South West	1,250	110	89	81%	0
Dover	South East	1,200	85	73	86%	0
Dudley	West Midlands	2,208	300	185	62%	0
Ealing	London	8,360	3,429	1,715	50%	0
East Cambridgeshire	East of England	220	—	—	—	—
East Devon	South West	633	45	43	96%	6
East Hampshire	South East	38	19	19	100%	0
East Hertfordshire	East of England	350	150	110	73%	47
East Lindsey	East Midlands	83	65	59	91%	1
East Riding of Yorkshire	Yorkshire and The Humber	1,000	100	80	80%	1
East Staffordshire	West Midlands	309	126	115	91%	1
East Suffolk	East of England	500	41	35	85%	1
Eastbourne	South East	450	350	337	96%	3
Eastleigh	South East	200	93	93	100%	0
Elmbridge	South East	203	80	75	94%	48
Enfield	London	3,600	1,500	656	44%	52
Epping Forest	East of England	162	70	67	96%	1
Epsom and Ewell	South East	400	120	92	77%	0
Erewash	East Midlands	123	69	56	81%	1
Exeter	South West	3,000	1,600	1,503	94%	5
Fareham	South East	24	24	24	100%	0
Fenland	East of England	250	90	90	100%	0
Folkestone and Hythe	South East	1,466	312	63	20%	4
Forest of Dean	South West	40	23	19	83%	1
Fylde	North West	540	22	19	86%	1
Gateshead	North East	476	127	101	80%	3
Gedling	East Midlands	90	67	53	79%	0
Gloucester	South West	892	312	286	92%	6
Gosport	South East	40	40	40	100%	0
Gravesham	South East	900	240	90	38%	0
Great Yarmouth	East of England	1,002	227	73	32%	0
Greenwich	London	5,500	1,000	365	36%	10
Guildford	South East	2,700	700	690	99%	2
Hackney	London	6,038	1,050	121	12%	4
Halton	North West	197	126	126	100%	0
Hammersmith and Fulham	London	4,000	700	677	97%	35
Harborough	East Midlands	36	13	12	92%	0
Haringey	London	6,037	1,787	1,787	100%	106
Harlow	East of England	300	300	279	93%	0
Harrow	London	622	622	89	14%	1
Hart	South East	60	30	27	90%	0
Hartlepool	North East	120	60	60	100%	5
Hastings	South East	1,120	85	85	100%	0
Havant	South East	100	30	19	63%	0
Havering	London	330	261	261	100%	—
Herefordshire	West Midlands	1,590	550	110	20%	1
Hertsmere	East of England	416	216	166	77%	1
High Peak	East Midlands	102	40	40	100%	0
Hillingdon	London	4,500	1,500	753	50%	—
Hinckley and Bosworth	East Midlands	175	31	24	77%	1
Horsham	South East	140	55	19	35%	0
Hounslow	London	5,800	4,000	1,337	33%	0
Huntingdonshire	East of England	500	150	39	26%	0
Hyndburn	North West	442	83	56	67%	1
Ipswich	East of England	650	218	215	99%	1
Isle of Wight	South East	386	66	57	86%	2
Isles of Scilly	South West	22	0	0	—	0
Islington	London	4,026	580	573	99%	9
Kensington and Chelsea	London	8,244	900	166	18%	0
King's Lynn and West Norfolk	East of England	250	84	74	88%	1
Kingston upon Hull	Yorkshire and The Humber	4,000	1,000	338	34%	4
Kingston upon Thames	London	1,901	500	406	81%	3
Kirklees	Yorkshire and The Humber	1,400	320	268	84%	24
Knowsley	North West	41	21	2	10%	0
Lambeth	London	5,000	1,300	850	65%	2
Lancaster	North West	3,000	580	550	95%	17
Leeds	Yorkshire and The Humber	21,000	3,500	2,938	84%	6
Leicester	East Midlands	9,649	2,249	1,100	49%	0
Lewes	South East	250	25	15	60%	0
Lewisham	London	6,000	1,000	536	54%	4
Lichfield	West Midlands	180	10	10	100%	1
Lincoln	East Midlands	0	—	—	—	—
Liverpool	North West	16,494	2,882	2,393	83%	27
Luton	East of England	4,576	705	233	33%	—
Maidstone	South East	800	225	185	82%	0
Maldon	East of England	100	50	6	12%	0
Malvern Hills	West Midlands	60	—	12	—	0
Manchester	North West	5,000	3,500	2,291	65%	54
Mansfield	East Midlands	1,267	200	162	81%	8
Medway	South East	1,050	400	248	62%	6
Melton	East Midlands	13	13	13	100%	0
Merton	London	1,774	900	585	65%	6
Mid Devon	South West	170	30	18	60%	0
Mid Suffolk	East of England	35	7	7	100%	0
Mid Sussex	South East	325	60	51	85%	0
Middlesbrough	North East	800	300	272	91%	0
Milton Keynes	South East	847	512	512	100%	17
Mole Valley	South East	35	15	15	100%	0
New Forest	South East	100	60	32	53%	1
Newark and Sherwood	East Midlands	990	156	54	35%	0
Newcastle upon Tyne	North East	5,000	3,892	2,486	64%	—
Newcastle-under-Lyme	West Midlands	794	212	193	91%	14
Newham	London	9,500	1,700	1,678	99%	45
North Devon	South West	1,100	290	58	20%	1
North East Derbyshire	East Midlands	25	2	2	100%	0
North East Lincolnshire	Yorkshire and The Humber	350	250	175	70%	130
North Hertfordshire	East of England	125	60	46	77%	0
North Kesteven	East Midlands	20	7	7	100%	0
North Lincolnshire	Yorkshire and The Humber	435	54	23	43%	6
North Norfolk	East of England	28	18	15	83%	3
North Northamptonshire	East Midlands	1,756	504	459	91%	0
North Somerset	South West	1,832	175	163	93%	7
North Tyneside	North East	148	30	24	80%	0
North Warwickshire	West Midlands	45	23	23	100%	0
North West Leicestershire	East Midlands	84	84	84	100%	0
North Yorkshire	Yorkshire and The Humber	1,664	265	262	99%	21
Northumberland	North East	70	43	43	100%	—
Norwich	East of England	4,000	1,100	994	90%	1
Nottingham	East Midlands	6,200	2,832	2,712	96%	11
Nuneaton and Bedworth	West Midlands	139	47	47	100%	1
Oadby and Wigston	East Midlands	19	12	8	67%	0
Oldham	North West	600	118	70	59%	3
Oxford	South East	3,056	1,797	1,797	100%	11
Pendle	North West	100	50	26	52%	3
Peterborough	East of England	3,500	750	559	75%	19
Plymouth	South West	5,000	1,400	1,295	92%	40
Portsmouth	South East	6,000	1,300	1,194	92%	1
Preston	North West	2,600	—	—	—	—
Reading	South East	3,272	—	1,193	—	10
Redbridge	London	2,000	1,330	998	75%	29
Redcar and Cleveland	North East	415	41	32	78%	1
Redditch	West Midlands	280	190	125	66%	35
Reigate and Banstead	South East	350	110	96	87%	3
Ribble Valley	North West	9	8	8	100%	0
Richmond upon Thames	London	225	100	85	85%	15
Rochdale	North West	150	51	48	94%	2
Rochford	East of England	13	9	9	100%	1
Rossendale	North West	37	30	30	100%	0
Rother	South East	25	25	25	100%	0
Rotherham	Yorkshire and The Humber	254	70	62	89%	0
Rugby	West Midlands	243	243	229	94%	1
Runnymede	South East	1,410	471	410	87%	9
Rushcliffe	East Midlands	250	210	198	94%	0
Rushmoor	South East	502	241	229	95%	0
Rutland	East Midlands	10	5	0	0%	0
Salford	North West	3,050	744	645	87%	44
Sandwell	West Midlands	4,200	300	189	63%	6
Sefton	North West	500	250	185	74%	3
Sevenoaks	South East	581	187	22	12%	0
Sheffield	Yorkshire and The Humber	11,000	2,200	1,508	69%	48
Shropshire	West Midlands	160	80	61	76%	3
Slough	South East	3,500	1,500	383	26%	3
Solihull	West Midlands	180	100	95	95%	0
Somerset	South West	2,800	500	467	93%	6
South Cambridgeshire	East of England	95	95	95	100%	1
South Derbyshire	East Midlands	30	25	19	76%	0
South Gloucestershire	South West	1,963	813	796	98%	9
South Hams	South West	38	38	38	100%	—
South Holland	East Midlands	400	89	89	100%	0
South Kesteven	East Midlands	65	65	56	86%	1
South Norfolk	East of England	540	32	24	75%	0
South Oxfordshire	South East	1,442	58	54	93%	0
South Ribble	North West	100	41	40	98%	0
South Staffordshire	West Midlands	5	2	2	100%	0
South Tyneside	North East	330	78	58	74%	2
Southampton	South East	6,000	2,300	2,115	92%	10
Southend-on-Sea	East of England	1,500	750	260	35%	52
Southwark	London	5,032	900	669	74%	24
Spelthorne	South East	500	350	150	43%	0
St Albans	East of England	750	75	67	89%	1
St Helens	North West	223	108	108	100%	0
Stafford	West Midlands	339	79	79	100%	0
Staffordshire Moorlands	West Midlands	22	5	5	100%	0
Stevenage	East of England	330	235	223	95%	0
Stockport	North West	149	—	139	—	0
Stockton-on-Tees	North East	404	89	89	100%	0
Stoke-on-Trent	West Midlands	2,600	500	419	84%	27
Stratford-on-Avon	West Midlands	1,080	—	55	—	0
Stroud	South West	1,420	150	25	17%	0
Sunderland	North East	194	194	194	100%	27
Surrey Heath	South East	150	85	78	92%	0
Sutton	London	942	250	210	84%	4
Swale	South East	300	60	43	72%	1
Swindon	South West	500	450	387	86%	0
Tameside	North West	400	200	181	90%	0
Tamworth	West Midlands	193	64	55	86%	3
Tandridge	South East	36	36	36	100%	0
Teignbridge	South West	375	37	35	95%	2
Telford and Wrekin	West Midlands	492	—	—	—	—
Tendring	East of England	194	39	31	79%	3
Test Valley	South East	150	100	50	50%	0
Tewkesbury	South West	40	—	—	—	—
Thanet	South East	1,218	100	83	83%	10
Three Rivers	East of England	75	25	14	56%	2
Thurrock	East of England	577	230	199	87%	16
Tonbridge and Malling	South East	174	33	27	82%	3
Torbay	South West	1,500	138	138	100%	0
Torridge	South West	171	25	15	60%	0
Tower Hamlets	London	9,000	924	765	83%	0
Trafford	North West	600	84	79	94%	0
Tunbridge Wells	South East	1,100	75	57	76%	3
Uttlesford	East of England	65	31	24	77%	0
Vale of White Horse	South East	1,346	87	76	87%	3
Wakefield	Yorkshire and The Humber	1,484	397	195	49%	—
Walsall	West Midlands	980	160	142	89%	0
Waltham Forest	London	2,220	1,000	413	41%	120
Wandsworth	London	3,500	600	550	92%	93
Warrington	North West	580	220	194	88%	0
Warwick	West Midlands	1,290	595	590	99%	4
Watford	East of England	439	311	294	95%	6
Waverley	South East	289	86	86	100%	0
Wealden	South East	50	22	9	41%	3
Welwyn Hatfield	East of England	650	400	352	88%	0
West Berkshire	South East	300	—	—	—	—
West Devon	South West	13	13	13	100%	—
West Lancashire	North West	576	280	258	92%	1
West Lindsey	East Midlands	25	20	14	70%	4
West Northamptonshire	East Midlands	2,200	1,000	814	81%	—
West Oxfordshire	South East	—	—	34	—	0
West Suffolk	East of England	320	115	112	97%	1
Westminster	London	4,200	350	287	82%	50
Westmorland and Furness	North West	600	300	263	88%	2
Wigan	North West	951	200	192	96%	6
Wiltshire	South West	144	144	144	100%	0
Winchester	South East	876	316	316	100%	0
Windsor and Maidenhead	South East	161	126	110	87%	10
Wirral	North West	2,208	252	236	94%	86
Woking	South East	500	100	97	97%	0
Wokingham	South East	480	115	87	76%	—
Wolverhampton	West Midlands	3,946	651	215	33%	17
Worcester	West Midlands	1,639	722	458	63%	1
Worthing	South East	1,200	250	175	70%	4
Wychavon	West Midlands	339	—	60	—	—
Wyre	North West	375	72	70	97%	0
Wyre Forest	West Midlands	150	44	30	68%	2
York	Yorkshire and The Humber	4,000	1,200	1,154	96%	6

For landlords

Check before you let to five: a large HMO without a licence is an offence, and the council can reclaim rent through a rent repayment order — the mechanics are on the HMO licence guide.
Fees are set by each council and are an allowable expense against rental income: allowable expenses.
Council tax and EPC for the same council: the council links in the table open its council tax page; EPC shares are on EPC ratings by area.

MHCLG, Local Authority Housing Statistics open data, 2024/25 return (items f8a–f11a: estimated HMOs, estimated mandatory-licensable HMOs, mandatory licences issued, licensable HMOs with a Category 1 hazard), file updated 12 June 2026. Council estimates, not a register. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Totals and coverage are ours, computed across 296 councils; “—” means the council did not report a figure.

HMO Licensing by Council: Estimated HMOs, Licensable HMOs and Licences Issued (England, 2024/25)

What this table is — and is not

Councils with the most HMOs

Every council, searchable

For landlords

Landlord tax changes, as they happen

Asked about HMO licensing

Keep going