Apply for or renew an HMO licence
Do I need an HMO licence?
If your answer to any of the questions below is 'no' you do not need a HMO licence.
- Do you privately rent a property within Liverpool City Council's boundaries?
- Is the property occupied by five or more unrelated people? Please include children and babies.
- Do two or more separate households live in the property?
- Do the occupants of the property share a bathroom, kitchen or WC?
Please note: Flats in purpose-built properties with three or more other self-contained units, e.g. student apartment blocks, may not need an HMO licence - please contact privatesector.housing@liverpool.gov.uk for more information.
How much?
Fees are paid in two parts and are based on the number of units (bedrooms) within the property. The first payment is taken when you submit your application - this is an administration charge. We will request the second payment when we are ready to grant your licence and carry out compliance checks to make sure you meet the licence conditions.
All fees are for new licences and renewals for up to 5 years:
- Up to 5 units of accommodation: £1,166
Payment 1 - £424 non-refundable
Payment 2 - £742 - 6 units of accommodation: £1,272
Payment 1 - £424 non-refundable
Payment 2 - £848 - 7 units of accommodation: £1,378
Payment 1 - £424 non-refundable
Payment 2 - £954 - 8 units of accommodation: £1,484
Payment 1 - £424 non-refundable
Payment 2 - £1,060 - 9 units of accommodation: £1,590
Payment 1 - £424 non-refundable
Payment 2 - £1,166 - 10 units of accommodation: £1,696
Payment 1 - £424 non-refundable
Payment 2 - £1,272 - 10+ units of accommodation:
Payment 1 - £424 non-refundable
Payment 2 - £1,272 plus additional £53 per unit up to maximum of £3,180
Example: 11 units would be £424 plus £1,325 - Landlords issued with a shorter licence
Payment 1- £424 all licences
Payment 2 - Fee charged at 40% for a 1-year licence and 70% for a 3-year licence.
How long will the licence last?
Licences can be granted for up to five years. A licence application will be reviewed and could be made shorter if:
- a property has been unlicensed for any period when it should have been licensed
- we have recent evidence that it has been poorly managed
- you do not respond to notices or request for information from us
- you do not have the correct planning consents
This list is not exhaustive and there are others issues that may mean we grant a licence for a shorter period.
Before you start
It is the responsibility of the property owner, manager or managing agent to make sure that the property has a valid HMO licence at all times.
We may contact landlords when a licence is due to expire, however it is your responsibility to renew it.
Apply for or renew an HMO licence online
You can now apply for or renew an HMO licence online using our licensing and regulations portal LAR.
You must:
- register and create an account on LAR
- go to ‘Apply For A Licence’ in the left-hand menu and select ‘HMO Licence - Initial’ for a new application, or ‘HMO Licence - Renewal’ for a renewal.
Once you have an account, you can also track the progress of your application and make payments too.
Payment cards we accept
We accept Visa Credit, Visa Debit, UK Maestro, International Maestro, MasterCard, Electron and JCB and you must be registered with 3D Secure 2 (also known as verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode) for your payment to be authorised.
Register for a LAR account and apply online
Read our privacy notice which tells you how we use your data
Refunds
We will give you a refund if you:
- made a duplicate application
- applied for a property that is exempt
- submitted the wrong application type
We will not give you a refund if:
- you withdraw your application
- we refuse your licence
- we revoke (take away) your licence
- you request the licence be revoked
If you wish to revoke your licence before it expires, we cannot give you a refund for any unused time.