Most of the cost and risk in an HMO is decided at the design stage. In Clifton we start by measuring every room and checking Nottingham City Council's position on licensing and planning, then build the specification around it.
We'll tell you plainly if a house in Clifton isn't suited to the number of rooms you have in mind, and what it would take to make it work.
HMO rules in Nottingham City Council
| Rule | Nottingham City Council |
|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licence (5+ people) | In force everywhere in England |
| Additional HMO licensing | In force Whole city, 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2028 |
| Selective licensing | In part of the area Some or all of 15 wards, 1 December 2023 to 30 November 2028 |
| Article 4 direction for small HMOs | In force Whole city, since 11 March 2012 |
Checked October 2026 against Nottingham City Council's HMO licensing page. Schemes change, so we confirm the position for your address before any work starts.
Nottingham City Council has an Article 4 direction across its whole area, so turning a family house in Clifton into a small HMO needs planning permission. We check the planning history of the address as part of any licence work. Seven or more occupants always needs planning permission. Nottingham City Council also runs additional licensing across its whole area (until 31 December 2028), so smaller HMOs with three or four people from two or more households need a licence too.
Our HMO compliance audit service in Clifton
An audit of an HMO in Clifton checks the house the way a licensing officer would: room sizes, fire safety, amenities, certificates and paperwork. You get a written, prioritised fix list, so you know what needs doing before an inspection, renewal or purchase.
Councils across Nottinghamshire set their own HMO standards on top of the national rules. Our audits of houses in Clifton check against both, and we can quote for any work the report identifies once you have read it.
- Written report with a prioritised, photographed fix list
- Licence conditions checked against the house as it is
- Every bedroom measured, including the 1.5 m ceiling rule
- Certificates and tenancy paperwork checked for gaps and dates
- Fire precautions and fire risk assessment reviewed
Letting to students and sharers in Clifton
If the house in Clifton is let to students or sharers, up-to-date certificates, measured plans and a current fire risk assessment make any council inspection more straightforward, and they are usually asked for with a licence application.
HMO compliance audits near Clifton
- Beeston 1.8 miles
- West Bridgford 3.2 miles
- Lenton 3.2 miles
- Long Eaton 3.7 miles
- Nottingham 3.9 miles
- Sneinton 4.2 miles