HMO Licensing in Cardiff
The law requires that certain types of rented property are licensed in order to meet standards that ensure a house is safe for the occupants
In order for us to process your application, a valid application must be made. See the application form and guidance below for a checklist of supporting documentation that must be submitted. On receipt of a valid application, an officer will contact you to arrange an inspection of the licensable property. Following a satisfactory inspection, a draft licence will be issued for your comments, followed by a Full Licence which is valid for a period of 5 years.
Additional Licensing Schemes also look to tackle wider community issues such as waste, anti-social behaviour, energy efficiency and property security. Cardiff Council has declared two areas within Cardiff as Additional Licensing Schemes, namely Cathays and Plasnewydd. The Additional Licensing Scheme in Cathays, which first came into effect on 1 July 2010 and again on 1 January 2016, will again go live on 1 February 2023 for a period of 5 years. The public notice of the designation may be inspected here.
Any existing additional HMO licenses issued under the previous Cathays scheme will remain valid until their 5-year expiry date at which point they will need to be renewed. Any valid applications pending on expiry of the 2016 scheme will now be processed.
The Plasnewydd Scheme first came into effect on 3 November 2014 and again went live on 1 January 2021 for a period of 5 years. Both Schemes apply to all Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) within the areas except those exempted by the relevant sections of the legislation.
Charges
An initial application fee must be paid at the time of application with the remainder of the fee then payable following an inspection of the property and prior to the issue of the full Licence. The fee payable will depend upon the size of the property and whether it complies with HMO licensing standards.
The higher fee will be payable if the application is non-compliant. Where a change of ownership occurs at a licensed property that is fully compliant, a reduced fee is payable for the award of a licence to a new owner for the remaining term of the licence.
The HMO licensing fee will be dependent on the area within which your property is situated and will be as follows:
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Initial Application fee
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2nd payment if compliant following inspection
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2nd payment if non-compliant following inspection
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Total fee compliant
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Total fee non-compliant
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Flats
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£160
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£120
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£580
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£280
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£740
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Plus an additional charge per flat
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Small flat up to 2 bedrooms per flat
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+£40 per flat
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+£70 per flat
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Large flat – 3 or more bedrooms
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+£50 per flat
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+£90 per flat
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HMO Shared House or single flat up to 4 bedrooms
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£160
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£230
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£650
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£390
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£810
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HMO Shared House or single flat (5 to 9 bedrooms)
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£160
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£250
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£700
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£410
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£860
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HMO Shared House or single flat (10-15 bedrooms)
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£160
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£280
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£750
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£440
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£910
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HMO Shared House or single flat (15+bedrooms)
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£160
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£300
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£800
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£460
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£960
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New owner of compliant property and application (Existing licence terms and conditions)
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£40
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£70
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n/a
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£110
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n/a
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Or single payment of £100 with the application
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Please see Application Guidance for more details on “compliant properties” and payment methods.
Apply
In order to make an application for a HMO Licence, please download and complete an HMO Licence Application Form and return to:
HMO Licensing, Room 116 County Hall, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff, CF10 4UW or via email to HMOlicensing@cardiff.gov.uk
Note both mandatory and additional applications can be completed on the same form, which you can print and complete by hand or save to your laptop or PC and type in your details. Please be sure to read the application guidance.
Public Register of Licensed HMO's in Cardiff
The Housing Act 2004 requires every local authority to maintain a public register of premises licensed as an HMO. This is the compact version of the register, specifically for the internet.
The full copy of the register can be viewed at County Hall, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff, CF10 4UW and you will be required to arrange an appointment. Register information on individual HMOs can be provided to members of the public on request.
Full printed copies of the register can be provided and posted on request for which the Council will make a charge.Note you cannot use details on the register for marketing purposes without the consent of the individuals listed on it. For further information on Data Protection please see Vale of Glamorgan Council's Privacy Notice