£1,861 for a first additional HMO licence. £1,886 for a mandatory one. Five years each, and since 6 August 2024 one or the other applies to almost every shared house in the city. If you're buying or converting, the HMO licence Bristol City Council issues comes with a planning question, room standards, a fire specification and a document list. Here's each, with the works that follow.
Which HMOs need an HMO licence in Bristol
A property is an HMO when at least three tenants live there, forming more than one household, and share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen. The council's types of licence page is blunt about households: five friends are five households, and a couple plus a friend are two.
| Scheme | Who it covers | New licence | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO | 5 or more people, 2 or more households, anywhere | £1,886 | £1,564 |
| Additional HMO, citywide (from 6 August 2024) | 3 or 4 people, 2 or more households | £1,861 | £1,470 |
| Additional HMO, Bedminster, Brislington West and Horfield (from 6 April 2022) | HMOs not covered by mandatory licensing | £1,300 | n/a |
| Selective (non-HMO lets) | Bedminster and Brislington West; Bishopston and Ashley Down, Cotham and Easton | £799; £912 | n/a |
These are the council's published fees, checked on 30 October 2026, paid in two parts with the second due when it decides to grant. Two £150 reductions are available: one for accredited Rent with Confidence membership, and one for supplying satisfactory gas, electrical and EPC certificates before the licence is issued. The council charges extra if it finds a licensable property unlicensed.
Planning first: Article 4
A licence isn't planning permission. Nationally, a house (class C3) can become a small HMO of three to six people (class C4) without an application. In large parts of Bristol, Article 4 Directions remove that right. The council's Article 4 page lists:
- North, South and East Bristol and Avonmouth Village, from 29 June 2020
- Lawrence Hill, Ashley, Cabot, Cotham and Clifton East, from December 2011
- Clifton West and Redland, from October 2012
- from 1 January 2027, parts of Brislington, Frome Vale, Purdown, Southmead and Horfield, St George and Westbury Park
Check the address on the council's map before exchange, and allow for an application and drawings if it's covered. Seven or more sharers falls outside class C4 and needs permission wherever it is. Our HMO conversion guide covers how applications are judged.
Room sizes, kitchens and bathrooms
Bristol's room size and amenity standards (July 2023) set the permitted number of occupants. For a shared house:
| Standard | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Bedroom, one person over 10 | 6.51 m² |
| Bedroom, two people | 10.22 m² |
| Bedroom, child under 10 | 4.64 m² |
| Total communal space for a group (kitchen, dining, lounge) | 13.5 m² up to 3; 17 m² for 4; 18 m² for 5; 20 m² for 6 |
| Baths or showers and WCs | Up to 4: one of each. 5: plus a separate WC. 6: two baths or showers and a separate WC, or two full bathrooms |
| Extract fans | Kitchen 60 litres per second; bathroom 15 |
| Heating | Fixed heating able to hold 21°C when it's minus 1°C outside |
Floor area where the ceiling is under 1.5 m doesn't count, which is what catches loft bedrooms. A kitchen shared by up to five needs a four-ring cooker with oven and grill, a sink with a drainer and a 500 by 1,000 mm worktop.
The council can issue a licence with conditions and a deadline to meet them. Plan the works anyway.
Fire safety works the council will look for
Bristol's fire safety standards for licensable HMOs (February 2023) vary with storeys, occupants and layout. For a shared house of up to six people:
- Alarms. Grade D1, category LD2, to BS 5839-6:2019. Interlinked, mains-powered with battery backup: smoke detectors in the hall and landing on every level and in the lounge, a heat detector in the kitchen. Bedsit layouts need LD1.
- Doors. Fire doors with self-closers to rooms opening onto the escape route. On three storeys, a 30-minute fire door to the kitchen with combined smoke and intumescent seals.
- Escape route. Walls and partitions of 30-minute fire resistance. Emergency lighting where the route has no borrowed light or is long or complex.
- The rest. A fire blanket in every shared kitchen, and thumb-turn locks rather than keys on escape doors.
Alternatively, submit a competent person's fire risk assessment; it must still include a kitchen fire door. Structural changes, new bathrooms and loft rooms also go through building control.
How long it takes and what it costs to apply
The council's guide to what happens after you apply says you must submit your application "within 28 days from when the property was occupied", and that once you've submitted it and received the confirmation email, you're able to rent. Part two of the fee is due within 28 days of the council deciding to grant. The council inspects each licensed property at least once.
Have these ready:
- an EICR less than five years old, with no C1 or C2 codes
- a gas safety certificate less than a year old
- an EPC (the minimum for new lets is currently E)
- a fire alarm test certificate, under six months old for a Grade A system or a year for Grade D
- an emergency lighting declaration, where fitted
Licence conditions include the West of England code of good management practice, and breaching it can lead to prosecution or a financial penalty of up to £30,000.
A typical works list, priced line by line
For a three-storey terrace becoming a five-person shared house, our itemised quote typically includes:
- Interlinked alarm system to the grade the layout needs, installed by NICEIC-registered electricians
- Fire doors, self-closers and seals to every room on the escape route
- Upgrading escape route walls and ceilings to 30 minutes
- Thumb-turn locks on final exit doors
- Kitchen re-plan to the space and equipment standard, with 60 l/s extract
- A separate WC or second bathroom, with extract
- Heating checked against the 21°C standard, gas by Gas Safe registered engineers
- EICR remedials and EPC improvements
Every line is priced separately, so compliance and improvement sit apart, which shortens the conversation with your accountant. Our Budget 2026 breakdown covers the tax and VAT dates, and the refurb-to-let guide shows how to sequence works in a void. Tenanted? See our Renters' Rights Act refurbishment guide.
We're SafeContractor approved (certificate OC4217), TrustMark registered (licence 4264445) and Federation of Master Builders members. More on our renovation work and developer services.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an HMO licence in Bristol for three tenants?
Yes, if they form two or more households and share facilities. Bristol's citywide additional licensing scheme has covered HMOs of three or four people since 6 August 2024. Five or more people need a mandatory licence.
How much is an HMO licence in Bristol?
A mandatory licence is £1,886 new and £1,564 to renew. A citywide additional licence is £1,861 new and £1,470 to renew. Both last five years, and two £150 reductions are available for accreditation and early certificates.
What is the minimum bedroom size in a Bristol HMO?
6.51 m² for one person over 10, 10.22 m² for two people and 4.64 m² for a child under 10. Floor area under a ceiling lower than 1.5 m doesn't count.
Do I need planning permission for an HMO in Bristol?
In much of the city, yes. Article 4 Directions remove the right to change a house to a small HMO across North, South and East Bristol and several inner wards, with more areas from 1 January 2027. Seven or more sharers always needs permission.
What fire alarm does a Bristol HMO need?
For a shared house of up to six people, a Grade D1, LD2 system: interlinked, mains-powered smoke detectors in the hall, landings and lounge, and a heat detector in the kitchen. Bedsit layouts need LD1.
Call Dan or Craig on 0117 251 0365, or send us the address and the target head count. We'll price the works line by line.
