HMO licensing in Sefton

Mandatory HMO (national)

Additional HMO active in Sefton

HMO licensing in Sefton comes from two places. National law sets the mandatory HMO rule for larger shared homes. The council can add its own additional HMO scheme on top, which catches smaller shared homes in part or all of its area.

What counts as an HMO

An HMO is a house in multiple occupation. The legal test under section 254 of the Housing Act 2004 is that at least three tenants live in the property, they form more than one household, and they share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen.

A household is one person, a couple, or a family living together. Three friends sharing a flat are three households. A couple plus their two children are one household. The household count is what triggers the HMO definition, not just the headcount.

A self-contained flat where everyone shares a single tenancy and uses one kitchen and bathroom inside the flat is not an HMO. A house split into self-contained flats can still be an HMO at the building level if a single tenancy covers the whole property.

Check a property in Sefton

Use the postcode and address checker to confirm the council and the local scheme area. Use the quick test below to see whether the property setup meets the mandatory HMO rule.

Check if you need an HMO licence

A postcode cannot tell us how many people live in the property. Answer these four questions and we will say whether the mandatory HMO rule is likely to apply.

Is it rented out?

Property setup

People living thereSeparate households

Mandatory HMO licensing in Sefton

Mandatory HMO licensing is national law. Every council in England runs it, including Sefton. A property needs a mandatory HMO licence when five or more people from two or more households live in it and share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen.

The rule sits in the Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018. There is no postcode test. If the property meets the headcount and household test anywhere in England, it needs a licence from the local council.

Apply before the property becomes licensable. Operating an HMO without a licence or a valid application when one is required is an offence. Councils can prosecute or apply a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence, and tenants can apply for a rent repayment order of up to 12 months of rent already paid.

Sefton mandatory HMO licensing

Mandatory HMO licensing · national · National rule

Occupant threshold: 5 or more
Household threshold: 2 or more
Fee in Sefton: £950

Mandatory HMO licensing applies nationally to HMOs occupied by five or more people in two or more households.

New mandatory HMO licence full fee is £950. £250 is paid on application, with the balance requested on production of the draft licence. A £30 charge applies for each additional unit under the control of the same proposed licence holder within the same building.

Apply for a mandatory HMO licence

Additional HMO licensing in Sefton

Additional HMO licensing is a discretionary scheme. A council uses it to catch smaller shared homes that fall below the mandatory threshold. The rules sit in Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004 and the scheme has to be formally designated by the council.

Sefton runs an active additional HMO licensing scheme. The detail below is taken from the council's own designation notice.

Sefton additional HMO licensing 2023 to 2028

Additional HMO licensing · active · Mapped boundary

Coverage: Mapped boundary
Runs: 1 Mar 2023 to 28 Feb 2028
Term: 5 years
Occupant threshold: 3 or more
Household threshold: 2 or more
Fee per property: £950

Sefton additional HMO licensing applies to smaller HMOs and certain section 257 converted blocks in designated parts of Seaforth, Waterloo, Brighton-le-Sands and central Southport.

Full fee is £950. £250 is paid on application, with the balance requested on production of the draft licence. A £30 charge applies for each additional unit under the control of the same proposed licence holder within the same building.

Properties exempt from this scheme

HMOs that already require a mandatory HMO licence are exempt.
Properties subject to an interim or final management order are exempt.
Properties covered by a temporary exemption notice are exempt.
Properties managed by a local housing authority, registered social landlord, police, fire and rescue authority or health service body are exempt.
Certain student halls of residence are exempt.
Owner-occupied properties with no more than two lodgers are exempt.
Properties occupied by just two people forming two households are exempt.

Discounts the council offers

Reduced fee for properties accredited through Sefton's Property Accreditation Scheme or landlords accredited with the National Residential Landlords Association.
Reduced fee where a Sefton-accredited managing agent is the licence holder.

Mapped boundary

Additional HMO licensing addresses on partly included streets or where the list and map differ, Central Southport additional HMO licensing area, Seaforth, Waterloo and Brighton-le-Sands additional HMO licensing area.

Apply for this licence on the council site

Common HMO setups in Sefton

HMO licensing tests two things at the same time: who lives in the property and where the property is. Here is how the most common setups land under Sefton's current rules.

Three sharers from different households

This is a small HMO under section 254. Sefton's additional HMO scheme catches three-person shares, so the property needs an additional HMO licence if it sits inside the scheme area. Mandatory HMO licensing does not apply at this size.

Four sharers from different households

Sefton's additional HMO scheme catches four-person shares. The property needs an additional HMO licence inside the scheme area. Mandatory HMO licensing only kicks in at five.

Five or more sharers from different households

Mandatory HMO licensing applies anywhere in England. The headcount and household test is national, not council-specific. An additional HMO licence is not also required.

A house converted into bedsits or self-contained flats

A house split into bedsits or self-contained flats can fall under separate HMO rules, including the section 257 converted-building test. The exact result depends on the conversion date, Building Regulations compliance, occupation and the council's scheme wording. Ask Sefton to confirm before you apply.

Live-in landlord with one or two lodgers

A resident landlord with no more than two lodgers is usually outside HMO licensing. Three or more lodgers can bring the property into the HMO rules, so confirm the setup with the council.

What an HMO licence costs in Sefton

Mandatory HMO licence: £950
Additional HMO licence: £950

HMO standards the council assesses

Sefton assesses every HMO licence application against statutory standards and the council's own published amenity rules. The council can inspect the property and can refuse an application when the property or applicant does not meet the required standard.

Room sizes. The Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018 set minimum sleeping room sizes: 6.51 m² for a single adult, 10.22 m² for two adults, and 4.64 m² for a child under ten. A bedroom that does not meet the minimum cannot count as a let room on the licence.

Bathrooms and kitchens. Councils set amenity standards based on the number of occupiers and households. Check Sefton's current standard for the exact bathroom, kitchen, worktop and storage requirements.

Fire safety. Interlinked smoke alarms on every storey, a heat alarm in the kitchen, fire doors on every habitable room (FD30 typically), and a clear protected escape route. A fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is the landlord's responsibility and the council can ask for the assessment at any time.

Gas, electrical and energy. An annual gas safety certificate (if there is a gas supply), an EICR no more than five years old, and an Energy Performance Certificate of E or above for the property to be let lawfully under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard regulations.

Planning permission and Article 4 directions

Converting a family home to an HMO is a change of use from Class C3 (dwellinghouse) to Class C4 (small HMO, up to six occupiers) or a sui generis HMO (seven or more). Outside areas covered by an Article 4 direction, the C3 to C4 change is permitted development and no planning application is needed. The HMO licence is a separate process either way.

Sefton may have an Article 4 direction that removes the permitted development right for HMO conversion in part or all of the borough. Where that applies, a planning application is required before the HMO can operate. The licence application then sits on top of the planning permission. Check the council's planning portal for current Article 4 areas before buying a property to convert.

Conversion to seven or more occupiers always needs a planning application as a sui generis HMO, regardless of whether an Article 4 direction is in force.

HMO mortgages and insurance

A standard buy-to-let mortgage does not normally permit HMO letting. Lending against an HMO needs an HMO mortgage product, often at a higher rate and with stricter loan-to-value caps. Lenders ask to see the HMO licence reference at completion and at renewal. Letting an unlicensed HMO breaches the mortgage conditions and can trigger a default.

Landlord insurance for an HMO is priced separately from single-let insurance. Cover for malicious damage, loss of rent, and public liability scales with occupier count. Insurers can refuse a claim where the property should have been licensed and was not, so the licence number goes on the policy schedule.

Talk to Sefton directly

Anything on this page that you cannot find an answer to, the council's licensing team can confirm in minutes.

Email the licensing team

[email protected]

Phone the licensing team

0345 140 0845

Apply for a licence

Application form on Sefton's website

Public licence register

Search licensed properties in Sefton

Official licensing page

Sefton council guidance

Council postcode checker

Sefton's own street or postcode lookup

HMO licensing and selective licensing in Sefton

Sefton runs a selective licensing scheme alongside HMO licensing. A property only needs one licence at a time. If the property is an HMO under either the mandatory test or the council's additional scheme, that takes priority. Apply for the HMO licence and the selective licence is not needed at the same address.

The practical edge case is a property that starts as a single-household let inside a selective area, then converts to a small house share. The licence type has to change at that point and the council needs a new application.

Scheme changes and consultations

Sefton landlord licensing extension proposal

under consideration · Listed wards

Sefton's forward plan lists a key decision for Cabinet on 3 December 2026 on a business case outlining proposals to extend the council's residential landlord licensing schemes. The wards affected are Birkdale, Blundellsands, Bootle East, Bootle West, Cambridge, Dukes, Kew, Litherland and Waterloo. Public consultation on the details will follow Cabinet approval. No fee or start date has been published. The current selective and additional HMO designations end on 28 February 2028.

How to apply for an HMO licence

Applications go to the council. Sefton asks for the property address, the landlord and any agent's details, a floor plan, an Energy Performance Certificate, a current gas safety certificate, a current electrical safety report, and the fee.

The council assesses the application against HMO management regulations. The property has to meet room-size rules, fire-safety standards, and the council's HMO amenity standards on bathrooms, kitchens, and fire doors. Most councils inspect before issuing.

A licence usually lasts five years. It is tied to the named licence holder and the named property. Sell the property, change the manager, or change the number of occupiers above the licence and the licence has to be updated or re-applied for.

Penalties for unlicensed HMOs

Renting out an unlicensed HMO is a criminal offence under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004. The council can prosecute, or it can apply a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence and skip court.

Tenants of an unlicensed HMO can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a rent repayment order of up to 12 months of rent. Universal Credit paid for the same period can also be reclaimed.

The council can record the offence against the landlord or agent. Repeated housing offences can lead to a banning order and can affect future licence applications.