Additional HMO licensing
In force | Area covered | Whole council area |
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| Designation made | 9 Jun 2026 |
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| Runs | 21 Sept 2026 to 20 Sept 2031 |
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| Fee | £1,260 new licence up to 5 years £1,260; renewal £900 (fees from 1 Apr 2026) |
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| Discounts | reduced new-application fee £1,060 for additional-designation properties received before 21 Oct 2026 |
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| Renewal | 900.0 |
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Council licensing page Designation notice Public register
Note from our check: CORRECTION vs NRLA: early-bird/reduced fee deadline is 21 Oct 2026 (council fees page), not 21 Sep. C3->C4 non-immediate Article 4 (made 2 Mar 2026, confirmed 9 Jun 2026) in force 3 Mar 2027 in named central wards (Kingsholm and Wotton, Elmbridge, Westgate, Barton and Tredworth, Moreland ...)
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
Mandatory HMO licensing in Gloucester
Whatever the local schemes, a licence is required for any house in multiple occupation let to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. This rule is national and has applied since 1 October 2018. Letting without a required licence is a criminal offence under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004. Read do I need an HMO licence? and how to apply.
Gloucester HMO licence register
The council's public register of licensed properties: Gloucester City Council public register. Use it to check whether a property already holds a licence, for example before you buy. Licences do not transfer to a new owner.
Gloucester Article 4 and HMO planning rules
Gloucester publishes Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, but none of its 55 published areas are labelled as an HMO direction. That does not prove there is no HMO Article 4 direction: check the council's planning pages.
Licensing and planning are separate. A licence does not give planning permission, and planning permission does not replace a licence. See Article 4 and HMOs.
Tribunal record: rent repayment orders and civil penalties in Gloucester
Figures below count First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on GOV.UK for properties located in Gloucester. They show how tenants and the council use enforcement here. Most civil penalties are paid without appeal, so they never reach the tribunal.
| Rent repayment order decisions | 1 (1 in the last 3 years) |
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| Orders made | 1 (100% of decisions with a known outcome) |
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| Median award | £8,360 (last 3 years: £8,360) |
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| Total awarded | £8,360 |
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| Civil penalty appeals | 0 |
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| Other Housing Act appeals (licence terms, notices, orders) | 1 |
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Amounts and outcomes are extracted automatically from the decision text and can be wrong; open the decision on GOV.UK for the full reasons. Party names are not shown. Information, not legal advice.
If you have let without a licence you needed, read unlicensed property: what to do, rent repayment orders and civil penalties.
Landlord database deadline for Gloucester
Gloucester is in the South West region of the new Private Rented Sector Database. Registration opens 15 Aug 2027 and the deadline to register is 14 Nov 2027. The published fee is £65 per property per year. Database registration is separate from council licensing: you may need both. See register your rental property.
Get help with a Gloucester licence application
We can prepare a licence application for you for a fixed fee; the council's own fee is separate. See pricing for what is included and how we make money. You can also run a full address check on the postcode checker.
Gloucester licensing: common questions
Is there selective licensing in Gloucester?
We found no selective licensing scheme on Gloucester City Council's website as of 28 Sep 2026. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies to 5+ people in 2+ households. Confirm with the council.
How much is an HMO licence in Gloucester?
Additional HMO licensing: £1,260 (new licence up to 5 years £1,260; renewal £900 (fees from 1 Apr 2026)). Fees for mandatory HMO licences are set by the council and published on its fees page.
Does Gloucester have an Article 4 direction for HMOs?
Gloucester publishes Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, but none of its 55 published areas are labelled as an HMO direction. That does not prove there is no HMO Article 4 direction: check the council's planning pages.
Where is the Gloucester HMO licence register?
The council publishes its public register of licences here: Gloucester City Council register. Councils must keep a register of licences under section 232 of the Housing Act 2004.
How often do landlords in Gloucester face rent repayment orders or fines?
The First-tier Tribunal has published 1 rent repayment order decision for properties in Gloucester (1 with an order made), median award £8,360, and 0 civil penalty appeals. Most penalties are never appealed, so the true number of fines is higher.
Related: selective licensing in England · additional HMO licensing · HMO licence cost · HMO rules · HMO hub
Sources
Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Licensing schemes change often; always confirm with the council before you act.