HMO licensing in Dacorum Borough Council

Whether a rented home in Dacorum needs a licence depends on how many people share it.

• Mandatory HMO licensing covers homes rented to 5 or more people who form 2 or more households and share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, anywhere in the borough.^[28]
• Additional HMO licensing for smaller HMOs is not in force. The council's HMO licensing policy, published in April 2026, says it operates the mandatory scheme only.
• Selective licensing of homes let to a single household is not in force, and the council's pages describe no scheme.

The council says an HMO licence usually lasts five years, and that it may issue a one-year licence where it has concerns about the management or condition of a property.^[19]

Subject to statutory exemptions, a large HMO shared by at least five people from more than one household needs a mandatory licence anywhere in England. The property licensing guide sets out the national tests that sit behind every local scheme.^[28]

Dacorum Borough Council publishes its register of licensed HMOs as a PDF. It lists each licence's number and dates, the address, the licence holder and manager, and the maximum number of households and occupants. The council says the register shows only licences currently in force, and that you should contact it about older, revoked or surrendered licences.^[22]

1. Open the council's HMO register and search it for the address. Dacorum's public register of licensed HMOs (PDF) (opens in new tab)^[22]
2. Search the exact address. Save a dated screenshot or download of the result. Councils must keep a register of licences, temporary exemption notices and management orders and make it available for inspection.^[30]
3. Ask about applications and exemptions. A missing entry is a reason to investigate, not proof of an offence, so ask whether a licence, application or exemption covered the dates you rented there.^[33]
4. Report or ask in writing. Email the Private Sector Housing team. Write to pshousing@dacorum.gov.uk, or call 01442 228000 and ask for Private Sector Housing.^[25] Ask for a reference number and keep the reply.

Every Dacorum HMO licence carries the council's standard conditions, printed with its register, and its HMO standards set minimum room sizes. Among other things, the landlord must:

• keep the facilities and equipment provided to occupants in repair and working order
• give each tenant a written agreement setting out their terms, and the licence holder's and manager's contact details
• display the licence holder's and manager's name, address and phone number in the shared parts of the home
• have the gas checked by a Gas Safe engineer every year, and the electrics tested at least every five years
• not cut off, or threaten to cut off, utilities the licence holder pays for^[23]

• National conditions are the floor. Every licence carries the prescribed conditions on gas, electrics, alarms, tenancy terms and waste, and can last up to five years; the property licensing guide lists them in full.^[31]
• Compare the licence with reality. The register entry or licence may identify the manager, the permitted occupancy and property-specific conditions. Check those details against how the home is actually occupied and managed.
• Keep separate evidence of hazards. A licence does not establish continuing compliance. Report disrepair or an immediate safety risk separately, and keep photographs, messages and certificates.

Dacorum licenses only large HMOs, so start with who lived there on your dates: 5 or more people from 2 or more households, sharing a kitchen, bathroom or toilet.^[28] The council's enforcement policy says it must consider seeking a rent repayment order itself. It will usually refer tenants to advice and share evidence that may help their case.^[19][23]

1. Confirm the scheme and dates. Match the address, occupancy and rental period to the designation in force at the time.
2. Ask the council in writing. Email the Private Sector Housing team. Ask Dacorum Borough Council whether an effective application or temporary exemption existed and when it took effect.^[25]
3. Check the legal position. An application, an exemption, a reasonable excuse or the identity of the person legally responsible (the "person managing or controlling" the property) can all affect whether an offence is proved.^[33]
4. Preserve the evidence. Keep the tenancy, rent payments, proof of occupation, dated searches and council correspondence.

For a licensing offence committed on or after the 1 May 2026 rule change, a tenant can ask the First-tier Tribunal for up to two years' rent, and normally has two years from the offence to apply. The tenant must prove the offence beyond reasonable doubt, and the tribunal decides any award from the statutory factors and evidence; recovery is never automatic.^[34] Older offence periods may be governed by earlier limits. Free housing advice is available from Shelter and Citizens Advice, and local law centres can help with tribunal cases.