HMO Licence Cost in Oxford: Six Fee Categories and the Citywide Selective Scheme
Oxford prices its HMO licence by category rather than size. A standard new application costs £858 from 1 April 2026, usually for a one-year licence, and renewals cost £392 for one year, £432 for two or £610 for five, depending on your track record. An HMO that has been operating unlicensed for more than 12 weeks pays £3,190. Every other private let in the city has needed a selective licence since 1 September 2022, at £612 to £1,803. This guide sets out every category, the rules that decide which you pay and what changed on 1 April 2026.
In this guide
HMO licence fees by category The rules that decide your category Citywide selective licensing to 31 August 2027 Refunds Standards Penalties Worked example: five years of an Oxford HMO Frequently asked questions SourcesHMO licence fees by category
| Category | What it covers | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Total from 1 April 2026 | Total 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Higher rate new application: one-year licence where the HMO has operated unlicensed for more than 12 weeks, or the old licence expired over 12 weeks ago | £407 | £2,783 | £3,190 | £2,900 |
| B | Standard new application: one-year licence for an HMO acquired or started within the last 12 weeks, a late renewal within 12 weeks of expiry, or a change of licence holder | £407 | £451 | £858 | £780 |
| C | Standard annual renewal, no management concerns, not accredited | £130 | £262 | £392 | £356 |
| D | Higher rate annual renewal, where there are management concerns or re-inspection is needed | £130 | £614 | £744 | £676 |
| E | Two-year renewal where all two-year criteria are met | £130 | £302 | £432 | £392 |
| F | Five-year renewal where all five-year criteria are met | £130 | £480 | £610 | £554 |
Oxford City Council, "Licence fees and charges, HMO", read 3 October 2026. Fees rose by about 10 percent on 1 April 2026.
The structure rewards a long, clean record. A new landlord starts on a one-year licence at £858, then renews each year until they meet the two-year or five-year criteria. A landlord on five-year renewals pays £122 a year. One who is caught operating unlicensed pays £3,190 for a single year, almost four times the standard fee, on top of any penalty. Among the councils in our national HMO licence guide, that is the steepest late-application premium.
The rules that decide your category
- The 12-week line. For a newly licensable property or a new owner, you must supply signed tenancy agreements or proof of ownership showing the tenancy or ownership began within 12 weeks of applying, or you are charged the higher fee.
- Not too early either. Applications can only be submitted up to four weeks before the tenancy start date.
- Stage 2 on time. If you applied for a two or five-year renewal and do not pay stage 2 within the time requested, you are automatically issued a one-year licence, and any overpayment is refunded.
- Duly made. An application is not duly made until both stages are paid, and the licence is not issued until stage 2 is paid.
- Card only. Fees are paid online by card, with bank transfer only in exceptional cases.
Every interested party, such as a joint owner, freeholder or lender, must be added separately with a unique email address. The council's other charges for 2026 to 2027 are an advice visit at £280 and a paper application surcharge of £315 for a new licence or £265 for a renewal.
Citywide selective licensing to 31 August 2027
Oxford applied selective licensing to the whole city, all wards including Holywell, after the government confirmed the designation on 21 April 2022. The scheme came into effect on 1 September 2022 and ends at midnight on 31 August 2027. Any private let that is not covered by mandatory or additional HMO licensing needs a selective licence. Watch the council's site for any successor scheme from September 2027.
| Selective fee type, 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 | Stage one | Stage two | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accreditation, new | £323 | £289 | £612 |
| Standard, new | £323 | £530 | £853 |
| Higher rate, unlicensed more than 12 weeks | £323 | £1,480 | £1,803 |
| Student accommodation block licence | £323 | £289 | £612 |
| Renewal of a one-year licence, applied before expiry | £138 | £72 | £210 |
| Temporary exemption or variation | No fee | No fee | No fee |
Oxford City Council, "Selective licensing fees and charges", read 3 October 2026. Paper applications add £313 (new) or £238 (renewal).
Note the default: the higher rate is charged unless you submit evidence, with the original application, that the property became licensable within the last 12 weeks, such as Land Registry or solicitor confirmation of the purchase or tenancy agreements dated in that window. The council asks for a card that can be pre-authorised up to the maximum fee. Our selective licensing guide covers how such schemes are approved.
Refunds
Oxford refunds both stages in full only where the property was not an HMO when you applied and has never been occupied as one. If it stops being an HMO after a new application but before inspection, you get stage one back less £116. Purpose-built student blocks meeting the council's criteria can have one licence for the whole building; any one or two-person studios in it need a selective licence instead.
Standards
HMO licences in Oxford carry the national minimum room sizes (6.51 square metres for one adult, 10.22 for two) and the council's own amenity and fire safety conditions. The certificates the council asks about are the usual set: gas, electrical, alarms and an EPC; price them with the certificate cost calculator.
Penalties
Beyond the higher fee, letting a licensable property without a licence is an offence. For offences from 1 May 2026 the maximum civil penalty is £40,000 and a rent repayment order can reach 24 months' rent. The council no longer helps tenants apply for rent repayment orders itself; it refers them to Justice for Tenants. See the landlord fines guide.
Worked example: five years of an Oxford HMO
A landlord buys a five-bed HMO in Cowley and applies within 12 weeks: £858 for a one-year licence. Year two, a standard annual renewal at £392. Year three, now meeting the two-year criteria, £432 for two years. Year five onwards, five-year renewals at £610. Paid within the first five years that is £2,292, about £458 a year at 2026 to 2027 prices, falling to £122 a year once on five-year renewals. Had the same landlord applied 13 weeks after buying, year one alone would have cost £3,190. Track the renewals in the compliance calendar.
Frequently asked questions
How much is an HMO licence in Oxford?
From 1 April 2026 a standard new application is £858 (£407 plus £451), usually for one year. Renewals are £392 for one year, £432 for two and £610 for five, depending on the criteria met. The higher rate for an HMO unlicensed for more than 12 weeks is £3,190.
Why did I only get a one-year HMO licence in Oxford?
New applications are issued as one-year licences as standard. Longer licences of two or five years are available at renewal if you meet the council's criteria, and a new licence holder with other Oxford HMO licences may qualify earlier if the evidence is supplied within two weeks.
Does every rental in Oxford need a licence?
Almost every one. Selective licensing has covered the whole city since 1 September 2022 and runs to 31 August 2027, and HMOs are licensed separately. Exempt lets, such as those listed in the 2006 Exemption Order, do not need one.
How much is a selective licence in Oxford?
£853 standard, £612 for accredited landlords, £1,803 at the higher rate, and £210 to renew a one-year licence before it expires, for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
When can I apply for an Oxford licence?
Up to four weeks before the tenancy starts, and within 12 weeks of the property becoming licensable to avoid the higher rate.
Sources
Oxford City Council: Licence fees and charges, HMO, Selective licensing fees and charges and Selective licensing designation and public notice, 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.