Additional HMO licensing · Worcester City Council
Worcester City Council Designation for Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation 2025 (council page name: Additional Licensing of HMOs 2025-2030)
- Status
- In force
- Runs
- 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2030
- Designated
- 21 May 2025
- Fee
- £1,181.41 for an HMO with two to four units of accommodation in 2026 to 2027: £556.41 when you apply and £625 before the licence is granted. Converted blocks of flats (section 257 HMOs) cost £1,246.30 for five to seven units and £1,351.36 for eight or more. Renewing before your licence runs out costs less, £1,058.84 for two to four units. If the council finds your HMO unlicensed you also pay a £216.30 penalty fee. A licence lasts up to five years.
- Applies to
- HMOs anywhere in Worcester that don't need a mandatory licence, usually homes let to three or four people from two or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, flats included. Also converted blocks of flats that didn't meet the building regulations of their time where less than two thirds of the flats are owner-occupied (section 257 HMOs). Exempt: buildings the law says aren't HMOs, and HMOs under a management order or with a temporary exemption. You need a separate application for each property.
Our records last verified 18 October 2026 · council designation page · licence conditions
Area covered
The scheme covers the whole of Worcester 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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