Bristol HMO Licence Renewal: What You Need to Know

Standard Licence Term Is Five Years

Bristol property licences — mandatory HMO, additional HMO, and selective — are issued for up to five years. The exact expiry date is printed on your licence. Some landlords receive shorter terms (one or two years) if the council has concerns about compliance history or management arrangements, but the standard grant covers the full five-year scheme period.

Shorter-term licences don't come with a reduced fee. You pay the same amount whether the licence runs for one year or five.

When to Submit Your Renewal

Submit your renewal application through the online portal at property-licensing.bristol.gov.uk before your current licence expires. Leaving it until after the expiry date creates immediate legal exposure.

The moment a licence expires without a renewal application on file, the property becomes unlicensed. That means you lose the statutory defence against prosecution, you can't rely on a "duly made" application receipt, and you face the £140 late-application surcharge on top of the renewal fee.

Renewal Fees

Renewal fees are lower than first-time application fees for the citywide additional HMO scheme:

• Citywide additional HMO renewal: £1,470 (Part 1: £808 / Part 2: £662) — compared to £1,861 for a new application
• Central wards selective: £912 for both new and renewal applications
• Mandatory HMO: Check the current schedule, as renewal pricing varies

The same two discounts apply to renewals, but the safety-certificate timing depends on the scheme. For the 2024 schemes, satisfactory certificates submitted before the licence is issued can reduce Part 2 by £150. For the 2022 schemes, you can receive a £150 refund by submitting satisfactory certificates within three months after the full licence is issued. The accredited-landlord discount is credited against Part 2.

What the Council Checks on Renewal

A renewal application goes through the same assessment as a first-time application: fit-and-proper person declaration, property details, occupancy profile, and supporting documents. You'll need to upload current versions of:

• Gas Safety certificate (issued within the last 12 months)
• EICR (valid for 5 years from the satisfactory test date)
• EPC (minimum band E under MEES regulations)
• Scaled floor plans showing room dimensions, fire doors, and alarm positions

If any of your certificates have expired since the original application, get them renewed before you submit. Uploading expired documents stalls the application and costs you the early-submission discount.

Transitioning Between Scheme Generations

Bristol's licensing schemes operate on fixed terms. The 2022 additional HMO scheme covering Bedminster, Brislington West, and Horfield expires on 5 April 2027. The 2024 citywide additional scheme runs until 5 August 2029.

If your existing licence was issued under the 2022 scheme and it expires before April 2027, you renew under that same scheme. If the 2022 scheme lapses entirely and a citywide successor is in place, your next application goes through the new scheme at whatever fees apply.

Licences already granted remain valid until their individual expiry dates regardless of what happens to the overall scheme designation.

Processing Timescales

Bristol City Council's published service standard is that final licence determination will occur within 24 months of receiving a duly-made application.

While waiting, the property is lawfully let as long as you hold confirmation of a duly-made application. That automated email receipt from the portal is your statutory defence document — keep it.

Our Bristol landlord licensing guide covers the full renewal process, including a document readiness checklist and the exact timeline for claiming fee discounts.

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