HMO licensing in Norwich City Council

Whether a rented home in Norwich 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, anywhere in Norwich.^[28]
• Additional HMO licensing for smaller HMOs is not in force. The council's HMO policy says it does not currently run one.
• Selective licensing of homes let to a single household is not in force.

What is proposed. On 9 September 2026 the council's Cabinet approved a public consultation on two new schemes: additional licensing of smaller HMOs across the whole city, and selective licensing in four wards — Nelson, Mile Cross, Sewell and Town Close. Neither has been introduced. Cabinet will decide whether to go ahead after the consultation.^[17]

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]

Norwich City Council says it keeps a public register of licensed HMOs, but in October 2026 the register link on its HMO page did not open, and no searchable copy or list was published elsewhere on its site. Its HMO policy says full details are available on request from the licensing team.^[18]

1. Check whether the home is a large HMO. Norwich's HMO policy (register details on request) (opens in new tab)^[18]
2. Ask the licensing team in writing. Private Sector Housing service request form (opens in new tab). Give the exact address and the dates you rented, and ask whether a licence, an application or a temporary exemption covered them. Councils must keep a register of licences, temporary exemption notices and management orders and make it available for inspection, so that duty holds even without an online register — a dated written answer is the record to keep.^[30]
3. Treat a "no licence" answer as a starting point. A missing entry is a reason to investigate, not proof of an offence, so ask which scheme applied on your dates and whether anything covered the property.^[33]
4. Report it if you think it should be licensed. Use the council's Private Sector Housing service request form (opens in new tab), or call the council on 0344 980 3333.^[26] Ask for a reference number and keep the reply.

Norwich attaches its own standard conditions to every HMO licence, and expects its amenity and fire standards in unlicensed HMOs too. Among other things, the landlord must:

• keep the number of occupants within the number the licence permits
• keep a fire alarm system working and certified, and fit a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a solid-fuel appliance
• have the electrics inspected at least every five years and a gas safety check every year
• meet the council's amenity standards on kitchens, bathrooms and room sizes
• give each occupier a written statement of their terms of occupation^[22]

• 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.

In Norwich the first test is size: while no additional or selective scheme is in force, only a large HMO needs a licence — a smaller HMO, or a home let to one household, does not.^[19]

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. Private Sector Housing service request form (opens in new tab). Ask Norwich City Council whether an effective application or temporary exemption existed and when it took effect.^[26]
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.