Thurrock HMO Licence: Additional and Mandatory Schemes Explained

Two HMO Licensing Schemes, One Borough

Thurrock Council runs two HMO licensing schemes, both applying across all 20 wards in the borough.

Mandatory HMO licensing covers properties occupied by five or more people from two or more separate households who share facilities like a kitchen or bathroom. This is a national requirement under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004 — it applies everywhere in England, not just Thurrock.

Additional HMO licensing covers smaller shared properties: three or four occupants from two or more separate households sharing amenities. Thurrock introduced this borough-wide scheme on 7 September 2025 under Section 56 of the Housing Act, and it runs until 6 September 2030.

A property only needs one licence. If it meets the mandatory threshold (five-plus occupants), it gets a mandatory HMO licence. If it houses three or four sharers, the additional scheme applies. Single-household lets fall under selective licensing instead.

How Household Counts Work

Under the Housing Act, a "household" means members of the same family. Married couples, civil partners and cohabiting partners (including same-sex) count as one household. Parents, children, grandparents, siblings, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces and first cousins sharing a property are a single household. Half-siblings, stepchildren and foster children count as full blood relatives.

Two unrelated friends renting together form two separate households. Add a third unrelated person and the property is an HMO with three occupants from three households — triggering the additional scheme.

HMO Licence Fees

Fees depend on the number of letting rooms and whether you are applying for the first time or renewing:

• New 5-year licence (2–5 rooms): £1,670 total (£694 Part A + £976 Part B)
• New 5-year licence (6–10 rooms): £1,740 total
• New 5-year licence (11–15 rooms): £1,925 total
• 3-year licence (2–5 rooms): £1,000 total (£417 Part A + £583 Part B)
• Renewal 5-year licence (2–5 rooms): £1,540 total (£650 Part A + £890 Part B)

The council may issue a shorter licence (one or three years) if there are concerns about management standards or compliance history. Fees are non-refundable if the application is refused or withdrawn.

HMO Room Size Minimums

Under the 2018 regulations and the Essex Amenity Standards adopted by Thurrock, bedrooms in licensed HMOs must meet minimum floor areas:

• Single room (age 10+): 6.51 m² with shared kitchen, dining and living facilities; 8.5 m² with a shared kitchen but no shared living room
• Double room (age 10+): 10.22 m² statutory minimum; 12.0 m² under the adopted Essex standard with a shared kitchen but no shared living room
• Single room (child under 10): 4.64 m²

Any room below 4.64 m² cannot be used as a bedroom. Ceiling height below 1.5 metres is excluded from the usable floor area calculation.

Fire Safety Requirements

HMOs must have mains-powered, interlinked smoke alarm systems — Grade D, Category LD2 or LD1 depending on storeys and occupancy. Carbon monoxide alarms are required in rooms used as living accommodation that contain a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker. Bedroom doors need thumb-turn cylinder locks for keyless emergency exit. Larger HMOs converting from single-family use (seven-plus occupants, Sui Generis) require full planning permission.

Next Steps

For the complete application walkthrough, document checklist and fee-avoidance tips across all three Thurrock licensing schemes, see our Thurrock landlord licensing guide.

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