Additional HMO licensing · Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Proposed city-wide Additional Licensing Scheme for HMOs (Cabinet 11 August 2026, Proposals for enhanced regulation of Houses in Multiple Occupation)
- Status
- Proposed
- Fee
- Proposed: no fee has been set yet. The council's Cabinet report of August 2026 says it would need to charge between £750 and £1,000 per licence to cover its costs, and that the fee will be set once the final scheme is agreed.
- Applies to
- Proposed: smaller HMOs anywhere in Stoke-on-Trent that don't need a mandatory licence, such as homes shared by three or four people from two or more households. Converted blocks of flats that don't meet the 1991 building regulations (section 257 HMOs) would be covered too. The council's Cabinet agreed on 11 August 2026 to bring in the scheme, subject to consultation and detailed design. No consultation had opened by 18 October 2026 and no start date has been set.
Our records last verified 18 October 2026 · council designation page
Area covered
The scheme covers the whole of Stoke-on-Trent City 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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