HMO and selective licensing in Thurrock Council

• Mandatory HMO licensing covers homes shared by 5 or more people from 2 or more households.^[21][41]
• Additional HMO licensing covers smaller HMOs, shared by 3 or 4 people from 2 or more households, borough-wide. It came into force on 7 September 2025; its notice says it ends on 6 August 2030.^[21]
• Selective licensing covers other privately rented homes in 16 of the 20 wards. It came into force on 5 January 2026 and ends on 4 January 2031.^[21]

An earlier additional scheme covered smaller HMOs in 11 wards from 1 June 2019 until May 2024. No additional scheme ran from then until 7 September 2025.^[21]

A court injunction paused the selective scheme early in 2026. The council gave landlords until 31 March 2026 to apply, and says the High Court ruled the scheme lawful in July 2026.^[21]

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.^[41]

Wards in the selective licensing scheme, as designated:^[21]

• Aveley and Uplands
• Belhus
• Chadwell St Mary
• Chafford and North Stifford
• Corringham and Fobbing
• East Tilbury
• Grays Riverside
• Grays Thurrock
• Little Thurrock Rectory
• Ockendon
• South Chafford
• Stanford East and Corringham Town
• Stanford-le-Hope West
• Tilbury Riverside and Thurrock Park
• Tilbury St Chads
• West Thurrock and South Stifford

Thurrock publishes its register of licensed HMOs as a table on its website. Each entry gives the reference, the address, the date the licence was issued and the date for re-licensing. The page shows no update date, so a recent licence may not appear yet. The council's pages link no register of selective licences, so to check one, ask the selective licensing team in writing.^[33]

1. Open the council's register of licensed HMOs. Register of licensed HMOs (opens in new tab)^[33]
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.^[43]
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.^[46]
4. Report or ask in writing. Email the HMO licensing team or the selective licensing team. Use the council's online form to report an unlicensed property (opens in new tab) or a suspected HMO (opens in new tab), or email private.housing@thurrock.gov.uk. No account is needed.^[39] Ask for a reference number and keep the reply.

Thurrock sets its own standards on top of the national licence conditions.

• HMOs must meet the Essex amenity standards, which the council has adopted, covering heating, kitchens, bathrooms and space. The council says it inspects HMOs at regular intervals.
• Selective licences carry the council's standard conditions. These require the licence holder to answer repair reports in writing within 21 days and to inspect the home at least every 6 months.^[34]
• Room sizes in HMOs: a letting room with a separate kitchen must be at least 8.5 square metres for one person and 12 for two.^[34]
• Bedroom sizes under selective licensing: 6.52 square metres for one adult and 10.22 for two, the council says.^[34]

The council says a licence is usually granted for 5 years. Its published selective conditions are headed "Proposed" and dated May 2025.^[34]

• 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.^[44]
• 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.

Match your rental dates to the scheme. Smaller HMOs needed a licence in 11 wards from June 2019 to May 2024, and borough-wide from 7 September 2025. An ordinary let in a designated ward needs a selective licence from 5 January 2026, but a court injunction paused that scheme early in 2026.^[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 HMO licensing team or the selective licensing team. Ask Thurrock Council whether an effective application or temporary exemption existed and when it took effect.^[39]
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.^[46]
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.^[47] 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.