How to Apply for an HMO Licence in Scotland: Step-by-Step

Before You Start: Who Can Apply

Only the property owner can apply for an HMO licence under section 129 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006. If you own the property jointly, all joint owners must be declared on the application. If a letting agent manages the property, their full legal details, company registration number, and Scottish Letting Agent Registration Number must be included — but the agent cannot submit the application in their own name.

You must also be registered on the Scottish Landlord Register. If you already hold an HMO licence, the council can passport your fit-and-proper status to the register without extra fees.

Step 1: Assemble Your Document Bundle

Every council requires the same core set of certificates and documents before they will accept an application as valid. Submitting an incomplete bundle delays everything.

You need a current Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) from a Gas Safe registered engineer — these are annual. An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) from a NICEIC or SELECT registered electrician, valid for up to five years but must cover the full licence term. Annual Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) certificates. An Energy Performance Certificate. A Fire Risk Assessment conducted by a competent assessor. Dimensioned floor plans drawn to 1:50 or 1:100 scale showing room measurements. Public liability insurance with a minimum of £5 million cover. And a copy of your standard Private Residential Tenancy agreement.

The EICR is the one that catches people out — if it expires halfway through your licence term, you need a fresh one before applying.

Step 2: Submit the Application and Fee

Download the application form from your council's website and complete it with the property address, proposed maximum occupancy, details of every owner and agent, and a list of the certificates you are submitting. Pay the non-refundable fee at the same time.

Each council sets its own fees. Edinburgh's 2026/27 three-year fee for a three-occupant HMO is £424 after the 35% reduction. Glasgow charges £2,452 for a new three-year licence for up to 10 occupants.

Step 3: Display the Public Notice

You must display a formal site notice on or near the property in a position visible to the public. This notice states that an HMO application has been made, gives your details and the proposed maximum occupancy, and tells neighbours they can lodge objections.

The notice must stay up continuously for 21 days from the date you submit the application. After the 21 days, sign and submit a Certificate of Compliance confirming the notice was properly displayed. Missing this step stalls your application.

Step 4: Inspections

Before a licence can be granted, the council coordinates property inspections and fit-and-proper checks with three bodies.

The council's Environmental Health or HMO team checks room dimensions, sanitary facility ratios, kitchen equipment, and general compliance with the Repairing Standard. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service inspects escape routes, fire doors, interlinked alarm systems, and emergency lighting. Police Scotland conducts background checks on you and any named agents under the fit-and-proper person assessment; it does not inspect the property.

If the inspection reveals deficiencies, you typically get 28 days to fix them. Failing to complete repairs in time can result in a shorter licence term or outright refusal.

Step 5: Objections and Committee Hearings

If neighbours or community councils lodge written objections within the 21-day notice period, or if officers identify compliance failures, your application goes before the council's Licensing Sub-Committee for a hearing. Both you and the objectors can attend and make representations.

This is where planning permission often surfaces as an issue. If the property lacks Sui Generis planning consent, the committee will likely raise it — even though planning sits with a different department.

Step 6: The Decision

The council must determine your application within 12 months of receiving it. If they fail to decide within that window, the licence is deemed granted unconditionally under section 134(4), valid for one year from the expiry of the 12-month period.

Actual processing times vary by council and application; contact the licensing team for a current estimate.

A granted licence runs for up to three years, though the council can restrict it to as little as six months for first-time applicants or properties under enforcement monitoring.

The Critical Rule for First-Time Applications

Submitting an application does not authorise you to start operating an HMO. For first-time applications, it is a criminal offence to allow three or more unrelated people to occupy the property before the licence is actually granted. This is different from renewals — if you submit a renewal before your existing licence expires, the old licence stays in force until the council decides.

The Scotland HMO Licensing Guide includes a document tracker, inspection preparation checklists, and worked examples of the full application cost for each major Scottish council, so you can prepare everything before submitting.

See more Scotland guides →