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Licence checker

Do I need a licence?

Enter the property's postcode and who lives there. We'll find the borough and ward and check them against each council's current licensing schemes.

What counts as one household?

One household is a person living alone, or a couple (married, civil partners or living together as a couple), together with any relatives living with them: parents, grandparents, children and step-children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, nephews and nieces, and cousins. Foster children and live-in carers or au pairs count as part of the household too.

Examples: a mum, dad, two children and a grandparent are 1 household. Two brothers sharing with a friend are 2 households. Four unrelated sharers are 4 households.

Not sure? Count the bedrooms let to different people or families. In a shared house each separately let bedroom is usually its own household, and a couple sharing a room is one household. If you leave households blank, we'll estimate one household per bedroom.

How it works

Mandatory HMO licence: 5 or more people from 2 or more households sharing facilities, anywhere in England.

Additional HMO licence: many London councils also license smaller shared houses, usually 3 or 4 people from 2 or more households.

Selective licence: some councils license ordinary single-household lets in certain wards.

Scheme information checked 7 November 2026.