Apply for an HMO licence
To apply for a new licence, complete and email the HMO licence application form to housing.standards@trafford.gov.uk.
You can also post your completed form to: Housing Standards Team, Trafford Council, Town Hall, Talbot Road, Stretford, Manchester, M32 0YL.
You will need to pay the application fee online before submitting your application.
Please read our guidance about applying for an HMO licence before completing your application.
The application form is in PDF format for you to download and print. This is so that you can obtain signatures from the applicant, the licence holder, the managing agent, and the person in control.
Supporting documents
You will need to submit the following documents along with your application:
- Plan of the property, showing all room measurements
- Fire alarm commissioning/test certificate
- Emergency lighting commissioning/test certificate
- Fire extinguisher service certificate (if applicable)
- Landlord's gas safety certificate
- Electrical installation condition report
- PAT (portable appliance testing) certificate (if applicable)
- Tenancy agreement
- Basic Criminal Disclosure Certificate (DBS), obtained within six months of the date of application. Find out how to get a DBS certificate on GOV.UK
Licence fees
There are two fees to pay when you apply for an HMO licence. One fee on application (to cover documentation checks, inspection time, fit and proper person checks) and one when your licence is granted.
You must pay both fees in full when required, before we will action the necessary stages of the licence process.
| Service | Fee | Description of service |
|---|---|---|
| Fee on application for a licence | £1012 up to and including 6 bedrooms, plus an additional fee of £25 for every bedroom thereafter (i.e. 7 bedrooms and above) | Fee for an application to license an HMO, including verifying the landlord is a fit and proper person to be a licensee |
| Fee on granting of a licence | £211 | Fee to be paid when the we are satisfied that a HMO licence can be granted |
| Application to vary licence | £331 | Separate fee to cover the costs of varying the conditions of a licence |
| Pre-licence application advice | £435 | Fee for advice before submitting an HMO licence, including a review of plans/documentation, an inspection, and follow-up report. Find out more about this service. |
Granting a licence
When deciding to grant or refuse a licence, we look at the following factors:
- The suitability of the HMO for the number of occupiers
- The suitability of the facilities within the HMO, such as toilets, bathrooms and cooking facilities.
- The suitability of the landlord and/or the managing agent to manage the HMO. This is called the “fit and proper” test and is mainly concerned with whether the landlord or manager has any relevant convictions or has acted in a way that would indicate they are unsuitable to manage this type of residential accommodation
- The general suitability of the management arrangements
If your licence is refused, send an email to housing.standards@trafford.gov.uk to try and resolve the issue. If you feel the council has acted unfairly by failing to grant, revoking or imposing certain conditions on your licence, you can appeal.