Salford HMO Licence: Requirements, Conditions, and How to Apply
A mandatory HMO licence in Salford is required for any property occupied by five or more people from two or more separate households who share basic amenities. Unlike selective licensing, this applies across the entire city — every ward, every street — with no scheme expiry date.
Who Needs a Mandatory HMO Licence?
The threshold is set by the Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018. If your property has five or more occupants forming two or more separate households, and they share (or lack) a kitchen, bathroom, or toilet, the property needs a mandatory licence. The number of storeys no longer matters — the previous two-storey requirement was removed in October 2018.
Household relationships determine whether occupants count as separate households. A couple counts as one household. Three unrelated sharers count as three households. A family of four is one household.
Licence Conditions You Need to Meet
Every mandatory HMO licence in Salford carries statutory conditions plus local conditions set by the council.
Mandatory statutory conditions:
- Supply a valid annual gas safety certificate to the council
- Keep electrical installations safe and supply an EICR dated within five years
- Install smoke alarms on every storey and carbon monoxide detectors in rooms with fixed combustion appliances
- Provide written tenancy agreements to all occupants
- Obtain written references from prospective tenants before they move in
Room size minimums are strict and non-negotiable:
- Single room (one person aged 10+): at least 6.51 square metres
- Double room (two people aged 10+): at least 10.22 square metres
- Child's room (under 10): at least 4.64 square metres
- Any room under 4.64 square metres cannot be used as sleeping accommodation
- Floor area where the ceiling height is below 1.5 metres is excluded from the calculation
HMO properties also need dimensioned floor plans showing room measurements, the location of smoke and heat detectors, fire doors, and kitchen and bathroom layouts.
What Does It Cost?
Salford uses a two-part fee structure. Part A is the application processing fee — paid when you submit, and non-refundable regardless of the outcome. Part B is the grant fee — charged only when the licence is approved.
A standard first application for a mandatory HMO licence costs £970 total (£679 Part A + £291 Part B). Subsequent applications from the same landlord drop to £945. Accredited landlords pay £945 for a first application and £910 for subsequent ones. Renewal applications cost £895.
Buildings with 13 or more bedrooms attract a surcharge of £40 per additional room above 12, added to the Part A fee.
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Applying Through the Portal
Salford's online portal requires a strict three-step sequence. First you register the property manager (with a Basic DBS certificate dated within three months). Then you register the proposed licence holder (same DBS requirement). Only after both profiles are verified can you register the property itself and upload your compliance documents.
Before submitting, you need to serve formal notice on all relevant persons — freeholders, head leaseholders, mortgage lenders, and co-owners — under the Licensing and Management Regulations 2006. The portal asks you to declare that these notifications have been served.
The council processes the application, conducts background checks, and issues a "minded to grant" notice. You then pay Part B to receive the final licence.
For the full portal walkthrough, document checklist, and fee calculation for every Salford scheme, the Salford Landlord Licensing Guide covers the complete process.
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