Thurrock Part A and Part B Licence Fee: How the Two-Stage Payment Works
Why the Fee Is Split in Two
Property licensing fees in England are divided into two parts following a series of European Court of Justice and UK Supreme Court rulings (the Hemming v Westminster line of cases). The principle is that a local authority cannot charge the full cost of running a licensing scheme upfront, before it has decided whether to grant a licence. So the fee is split:
- Part A covers the cost of processing your application — administrative handling, background screening and fit-and-proper checks
- Part B covers the ongoing cost of running the licensing scheme — compliance monitoring, property inspections, public register maintenance and enforcement against unlicensed operators
This is not an instalment plan. Part A is due at submission. Part B is due only after the Council has decided to grant the licence, at the point where it issues its Notice of Intention.
Thurrock's Fee Breakdown
Selective Licensing (16 designated wards)
| Category | Part A | Part B | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard rate | £236.98 | £797.92 | £1,034.90 |
| Higher rate (late, 12+ weeks) | £236.98 | £1,530.42 | £1,767.40 |
HMO Licensing (borough-wide)
| Category | Part A | Part B | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New 5-year licence (2–5 rooms) | £694.00 | £976.00 | £1,670.00 |
| New 3-year licence (2–5 rooms) | £417.00 | £583.00 | £1,000.00 |
| Renewal 5-year licence (2–5 rooms) | £650.00 | £890.00 | £1,540.00 |
Fees increase for larger HMOs (6–10 rooms: £1,740 total; 11–15 rooms: £1,925 total for a new 5-year licence).
When You Pay Each Part
Part A is paid during the online application on Thurrock Council's licensing portal via debit or credit card. You cannot complete the submission without clearing this payment. Once paid, Part A is non-refundable — even if your application is refused, withdrawn, or the property is sold before the licence is granted.
After you submit, the Council processes your application: verifying documents, running fit-and-proper checks, and notifying interested parties (freeholders, mortgage lenders, managing agents). A mandatory 14-working-day consultation period follows, during which those parties can make representations.
Part B becomes due when the Council issues a formal Notice of Intention to grant the licence. You will receive this notice along with a payment request. Pay Part B, and the final licence is issued. The licence runs for up to five years from the grant date.
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What Happens If You Do Not Pay Part B
If you pay Part A, submit a duly-made application, but then fail to pay Part B when requested, the Council cannot grant the licence. Your application stalls. Depending on how long this drags on, the Council may treat the property as unlicensed — opening you to civil penalties or prosecution.
Some landlords mistakenly assume that paying Part A and having an active application is enough to protect them indefinitely. It is not. A duly-made application protects you while it is being processed, but once the Council has made its decision and asked for Part B, the clock is ticking again.
The £500 Paper Application Surcharge
If you cannot use the online portal due to accessibility issues, you can request a paper application pack. But paper applications carry a flat £500 surcharge on top of the standard Part A and Part B fees. For a selective licence at the standard rate, that pushes the total from £1,034.90 to £1,534.90.
The surcharge reflects the Council's administrative cost of manually entering paper forms into its digital system. It applies to all licence types. Unless you have a genuine accessibility barrier, the online portal saves you a significant amount.
Refunds and Transfers
Part A is non-refundable in all circumstances. Part B is non-refundable once paid. If you sell the property during the licence term, the licence cannot be transferred to the buyer — they must submit a new application and pay their own Part A and Part B in full. You do not receive a pro-rata refund for the remaining years on a cancelled licence.
If the licence holder dies, the licence lapses immediately, but a three-month temporary exemption automatically applies under Sections 68 and 93 of the Housing Act 2004, giving personal representatives time to settle the estate or re-apply.
Our Thurrock landlord licensing guide walks through the complete fee structure and payment process, including the documents you need to have ready before Part A and the timeline between Part A and Part B for each licence type.
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