Shared houses in Nottingham need to satisfy Nottingham City Council's licensing team as well as building regulations. We plan for both from the first survey, which avoids rework later.
Because we also manage and maintain HMOs, we design with day-to-day running in mind: hard-wearing finishes, sensible storage and layouts that keep shared spaces usable.
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 Nottingham 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.
HMO compliance audits in Nottingham: what we do
An audit of an HMO in Nottingham 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 Nottingham check against both, and we can quote for any work the report identifies once you have read it.
- Management Regulations 2006 duties checked on site
- Licence conditions checked against the house as it is
- Fire precautions and fire risk assessment reviewed
- Written report with a prioritised, photographed fix list
- Every bedroom measured, including the 1.5 m ceiling rule
Sharer demand in Nottingham
If the house in Nottingham 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 Nottingham
- Sneinton about 1 mile
- Lenton 1.3 miles
- West Bridgford 1.9 miles
- Sherwood 2 miles
- Bilborough 2.7 miles
- Carlton 2.9 miles