HMO Licence Cost in Bristol: Five Fees, Three Schemes and the Discounts
Bristol is one of the most expensive places in England to license a shared house. A new mandatory HMO licence costs £1,886 and a renewal £1,564, both for five years. Since 6 August 2024 almost every smaller HMO in the city has needed an additional licence at £1,861, and private lets in five wards need a selective licence at £799 or £912 depending on the scheme. Two £150 discounts are available. This guide lists every fee published on 3 October 2026, which scheme covers which ward, and how to bring the cost down.
In this guide
Every Bristol licence fee Which scheme covers your property The two £150 discounts Properties without a licence Standards and inspections How to apply Worked example: a four-bed Easton house Frequently asked questions SourcesEvery Bristol licence fee
| Licence | Payment one | Payment two | Total | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO, new | £1,121 | £765 | £1,886 | 5 years |
| Mandatory HMO, renewal | £929 | £635 | £1,564 | 5 years |
| Citywide additional HMO, first licence (from 6 August 2024) | £1,023 | £838 | £1,861 | 5 years |
| Citywide additional HMO, renewal | £808 | £662 | £1,470 | 5 years |
| Additional HMO, Bedminster, Brislington West and Horfield (from 6 April 2022) | £1,000 | £300 | £1,300 | 5 years |
| Selective, Bedminster and Brislington West (from 6 April 2022) | £499 | £300 | £799 | 5 years |
| Selective, Bishopston and Ashley Down, Cotham, Easton (from 6 August 2024) | £467 | £445 | £912 | 5 years |
Bristol City Council fee pages for mandatory HMO licences and for additional HMO and selective licences, read 3 October 2026. Discounts come off payment two.
A new five-bed HMO licence at £1,886 is £377 a year over five years, against £195 a year in Leeds and £266 in Liverpool. The national HMO licence guide compares other councils; The fee covers a council inspection of every licensed property at least once during the licence.
Which scheme covers your property
Bristol defines an HMO as a property where at least three tenants live, forming more than one household, and share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen. A household is a single person, a cohabiting couple or a family, so five friends sharing one tenancy are five households, and a couple plus a friend are two.
- Mandatory licensing applies citywide to five or more people in two or more households.
- Citywide additional licensing came into force on 6 August 2024 and covers HMOs of three or four people anywhere in Bristol, except those already licensed under the 2022 ward schemes. Anyone whose existing additional licence expires before 6 August 2029 renews under the citywide scheme.
- The 2022 ward schemes: additional licensing in Bedminster, Brislington West and Horfield, and selective licensing in Bedminster and Brislington West, both from 6 April 2022. A designation lasts no more than five years, so these run to April 2027 at the latest unless renewed.
- Selective licensing from 6 August 2024 covers private lets of one or two people or one family in Bishopston and Ashley Down, Cotham and Easton. If you previously had a selective licence in Easton under the old scheme, you need a new one.
The selective licensing guide explains how these schemes are made and how long they last.
The two £150 discounts
- Rent with Confidence. If the licence holder or manager has the accredited level of membership with an approved provider of the West of England Rent with Confidence scheme when applying, payment two falls by £150. Ordinary membership does not count, and you must prove accreditation by the payment two deadline.
- Certificates. For mandatory licence applications received after 6 April 2024, you get a £150 refund against payment two if you send satisfactory copies of the gas safety certificate, the electrical installation condition report and the EPC before the licence is issued. Nothing is refunded if the certificates arrive after the formal licence.
Both discounts together take a new mandatory licence from £1,886 to £1,586. The certificate discount is the easier one: book the gas safety check, the EICR and an EPC before you apply. The certificate cost calculator prices all three, typically less than the £150 you get back if any of them is due anyway.
Properties without a licence
Bristol publishes separate unlicensed property charges, which apply if the council finds you renting a property that needs a licence without one. These come on top of enforcement. Nationally, for offences committed on or after 1 May 2026, the maximum civil penalty for an unlicensed HMO or a breach of licence conditions is £40,000, and tenants can claim back up to 24 months' rent through a rent repayment order. Bristol also keeps a public register of licensed properties, so a tenant can check an address before signing. The landlord fines guide sets out the penalties.
Standards and inspections
Each licence comes with Bristol's property licence standards and conditions, and the council inspects every registered property at least once in the licence period. The national minimum room sizes apply to every HMO licence: 6.51 square metres for a single adult and 10.22 square metres for two. Fire precautions, amenities (kitchens, bathrooms and toilets per occupant) and management standards come from the council's own standards document, which is worth reading before you buy a property to convert. Keep smoke and carbon monoxide alarms tested and logged; the inspection will ask.
How to apply
- Use the council's "check if you need a property licence and apply" page, which asks about the address and the occupants and sends you to the right form.
- Pay payment one with the application.
- Send the gas, electrical and EPC certificates before the licence is issued to qualify for the £150 refund.
- Pay payment two, less any discount, when the council is ready to grant.
Note the council's renewal pricing: a renewal is cheaper than a new licence under the mandatory and citywide additional schemes, so apply before the current licence lapses. Put the expiry date in the compliance calendar.
Worked example: a four-bed Easton house
A landlord lets a four-bed terrace in Easton to four unrelated sharers. Four people is below the mandatory threshold, so the house needs a citywide additional licence: £1,023 up front and £838 on grant, £1,861. With Rent with Confidence accreditation, payment two falls to £688 and the total to £1,711, or £342 a year over five years. If the same house were instead let to a family, it would need a selective licence at £912, because Easton is in the 2024 selective scheme. Run the numbers through the rental yield calculator with the fee spread over five years.
Frequently asked questions
How much is an HMO licence in Bristol?
A new mandatory HMO licence is £1,886 (£1,121 plus £765) and a renewal £1,564, each for five years. A smaller HMO under the citywide additional scheme is £1,861 new or £1,470 to renew. Fees read on the council's website on 3 October 2026.
Does a three-person HMO in Bristol need a licence?
Yes. Since 6 August 2024 the citywide additional licensing scheme covers HMOs of three or four people in two or more households, except those already licensed under the 2022 Bedminster, Brislington West and Horfield scheme.
Which Bristol wards have selective licensing?
Bedminster and Brislington West since 6 April 2022 (£799), and Bishopston and Ashley Down, Cotham and Easton since 6 August 2024 (£912).
How can I reduce the Bristol licence fee?
Two £150 reductions on payment two: accredited membership of the West of England Rent with Confidence scheme, and, for mandatory applications, sending the gas certificate, EICR and EPC before the licence is issued.
How long does a Bristol property licence last?
Five years for each of the mandatory, additional and selective licences, and the council inspects each licensed property at least once in that time.
Sources
Bristol City Council: Mandatory HMO licence fee, Additional HMO and selective property licence fees and Types of property licence, all read 3 October 2026. Legislation: Housing Act 2004 section 72, Licensing of HMOs (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018, Mandatory Conditions of Licences Regulations 2018, Renters' Rights Act 2025 Part 4 and GOV.UK on HMO licensing; Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006. See the methodology.