Additional HMO licensing · Bedford Borough Council
Bedford Borough Council Designation of an area for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) (council page name: additional HMO licensing scheme, renewed 2023)
- Status
- In force
- Runs
- 21 May 2023 to 20 May 2028
- Designated
- 25 January 2023
- Fee
- £805.90 plus £80.25 for each bedroom, so £1,126.90 for a four-bedroom HMO (2026 fees). For a building converted into flats, the £80.25 is charged for each flat. You pay the whole fee when you submit the online application, and a paper application costs £150 more. An additional licence usually runs to 20 May 2028, when the scheme ends.
- Applies to
- HMOs anywhere in Bedford Borough that don't need a mandatory licence, usually homes let to three or four unrelated people who share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen. Also buildings converted into self-contained flats that don't meet the 1991 Building Regulations standards for conversions, where more than a third of the flats are let on shorthold tenancies; the freeholder needs the licence. Exempt: HMOs that need a mandatory licence and buildings the law says aren't HMOs.
Our records last verified 18 October 2026 · council designation page
Area covered
The scheme covers the whole of Bedford Borough Council. Every privately rented property in the borough that meets the scheme’s criteria needs a licence, wherever it is.
What this means for landlords
Additional HMO licensing extends licensing to shared homes below the national 5-person mandatory threshold. If your property in this area houses unrelated sharers, check the scheme’s occupancy criteria. Running a licensable HMO without a licence carries the same penalties as any licensing offence: a civil penalty of up to £40,000 and a rent repayment order of up to 24 months’ rent.
Is your property inside the scheme area?
This checker reflects HouseFile’s records of council licensing designations, not the councils’ live registers. Our records indicate the position at the verification date shown on each result. Schemes are designated, renewed and revoked throughout the year, and postcode-level lookups are approximate near scheme boundaries. Always confirm with the council before letting or buying a property, using the source link on each card. This is general information, not legal advice.
If you hold a licence here, HouseFile can track its renewal date
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