What this page helps you work out
This page is for the common question: does this shared property need an HMO licence? The answer usually depends on how many people live there, how many households they form, and whether the local council has extended HMO licensing beyond the national minimum.
If you already know the occupancy setup, the HMO checker tool is the quickest starting point. If you already know the postcode, the postcode checker is the fastest route into the relevant council page.
Check a postcode for HMO licensing
Enter a postcode to match it to the relevant council area and see whether our current data shows HMO or additional licensing schemes.
If the occupancy setup is the main uncertainty rather than the postcode, the HMO checker tool walks through the occupancy questions first.
Mandatory HMO licensing vs local HMO rules
Mandatory HMO licensing applies nationally to larger HMOs. Councils can also introduce additional licensing so smaller shared houses may need a licence too. That is why an HMO check and a council-area check often need to be used together.
Start with the HMO questions
Work out whether the property is likely to be treated as an HMO based on occupiers, households, and shared facilities.
Open the HMO checkerThen confirm the local council position
Use the postcode checker or a council page to see whether local additional or selective licensing also changes the answer.
Check a postcodeWhen council variation matters most
Council variation matters most for smaller shared houses. A property with three or four occupiers may not need a mandatory HMO licence everywhere, but it may still need a local additional licence in some areas. Councils can also vary fees, boundaries, exemptions, and application routes.
If you are still orienting yourself, the full HMO licensing guide gives the wider legal background, while this page is intended to move you into the right next check quickly.
How to check if a property has an HMO licence
The most direct route is to check the council's public HMO register. Most councils that operate HMO licensing schemes publish a searchable register of licensed properties online. To find the register for the relevant area:
- Enter the postcode in the checker above to identify the council
- Open the relevant council page on this site — public register links are shown where we have them
- Search the register by address or postcode
- If no register is available online, contact the council's housing team directly
If a register link is not yet shown on the council page, go to the council website and search for "HMO register" or "licensed HMO properties". Most councils list this under housing or private renting.
Council pages with HMO licensing signals
These councils show HMO and licensing signals in early search data. Check their council pages for local HMO scheme detail and register links.
London Borough of Croydon
London
Detailed scheme records currently shown on this council page.
London Borough of Hackney
London
Detailed scheme records currently shown on this council page.
Coventry City Council
West Midlands
Detailed scheme records currently shown on this council page.
Explore related licence checks
HMO licensing is only one part of the picture. Use the related pages below if you need to compare shared-property rules with area-based or council-specific licensing.
HMO checker
Work through occupancy and household questions first, then move into the postcode checker or council page if local HMO licensing may still matter.
Selective licence checker
Check how council selective licensing schemes can affect standard rented houses and flats in designated areas.
Additional licence checker
Review when smaller HMOs may need a local additional licence, and how council rules can vary by area.