How to Apply for an HMO Licence in Stoke-on-Trent

Applying for an HMO licence in Stoke-on-Trent is not a single form you fill in and forget. The council runs a multi-stage process with document uploads, a two-part fee payment, an inspection, and a formal consultation period before the licence is actually granted. Here is how it works from start to finish.

Before You Start: Gather Your Documents

The application will not be classified as "duly made" — the council's term for a valid, complete submission — until every required document is uploaded. Incomplete applications do not fulfil your statutory duty under Section 72(1) of the Housing Act 2004, so you are not protected from prosecution just because you started an application.

You will need:

• Photo ID for the proposed licence holder (passport or UK photocard driving licence)
• Proof of address (a Council Tax statement or utility bill issued within the last three months)
• A current gas safety certificate (renewed annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer)
• An electrical installation condition report (EICR) — valid for five years, with no outstanding C1 or C2 faults
• A fire alarm test certificate to BS 5839 (renewed annually)
• An emergency lighting test certificate to BS 5266 if emergency lighting is fitted
• A written fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
• Dimensioned floor plans showing each room's use and usable floor area in square metres
• Building control completion certificates for any structural conversions
• Contact details and mortgage account numbers for all interested parties — the freeholder, any joint owners, managing agents, leaseholders and mortgage providers

Step-by-Step Application Walkthrough

1. Register on the council portal. Go to the Stoke-on-Trent City Council housing portal on stoke.gov.uk. There is no standard paper form — the entire process is online. Create an account and enter the property address and UPRN to select the HMO licensing stream.

2. Enter party details. Disclose full legal names, residential addresses and contact details for every interested party. If the licence holder is a limited company, include the company registration number, registered office address, and photo ID for the controlling director.

3. Complete the fit and proper person declaration. The council must be satisfied that the proposed licence holder and manager are "fit and proper" under Section 66 of the Housing Act 2004. You will need to declare any unspent criminal convictions (fraud, violence, drugs, sexual offences), housing law contraventions, previous licence enforcement action, or unlawful discrimination findings.

4. Upload your documents. Every certificate must be the full document — submitting a partial EICR or one page of a multi-page fire alarm certificate will trigger rejection. Make sure the EICR shows no outstanding C1 or C2 faults before you upload.

5. Pay the Part 1 fee. The Part 1 processing fee is £428 for all property sizes. Pay it online when you submit. This covers the council's administrative costs for validating your application — it is non-refundable even if the application is refused.

6. Wait for validation. A housing officer reviews your submission for completeness. If the form, supporting documents, and Part 1 fee are complete, the application is declared "duly made." A duly made application that remains effective is a statutory defence to prosecution under Section 72(4) while the council determines it. Keep the council's confirmation; an incomplete submission is not a duly made application.

7. Pay the Part 2 fee. The council contacts you to pay the Part 2 enforcement fee. For properties with up to six bedrooms this is £467, bringing the total to £895. Larger properties pay more — up to £660.50 for the Part 2 fee on properties with 31 or more bedrooms.

8. Property inspection. A housing officer visits the property to check room sizes, fire safety installations, amenity ratios and potential HHSRS hazards. They measure bedrooms, check fire door specifications, and verify that the alarm system matches the required BS 5839 grade.

9. Draft licence (Notice of Intention). After the inspection, the council serves a formal Notice of Intention to Grant (or Refuse) the licence. It sets out the proposed conditions — maximum occupant numbers, management obligations, fire safety requirements. You and all interested parties have 14 days to make representations.

10. Final decision (Notice of Decision). If no overriding objections are raised, the council issues the formal licence with its final conditions.

How Long Does the Whole Process Take?

Stoke-on-Trent City Council says it aims to process HMO applications within four weeks. The inspection, 14-day consultation, and final decision are part of that process, but the aim is not a guarantee of the completion date. Do not leave it until your tenants have already moved in.

One Important Detail: The Licence Is Personal

An HMO licence is granted to the licence holder, not the property address. Under Section 68(1) of the Housing Act 2004, it cannot be transferred. If you sell the property, the new owner must submit their own application from scratch.

For a complete walkthrough of documents, fees, room sizes, fire safety rules and what to do if the council proposes conditions you disagree with, the Stoke-on-Trent Landlord Licensing Guide covers the full application lifecycle.

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