Most of the cost and risk in an HMO is decided at the design stage. In Derby we start by measuring every room and checking Derby City Council's position on licensing and planning, then build the specification around it.
We'll tell you plainly if a house in Derby isn't suited to the number of rooms you have in mind, and what it would take to make it work.
HMO rules in Derby City Council
| Rule | Derby City Council |
|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licence (5+ people) | In force everywhere in England |
| Additional HMO licensing | None found |
| Selective licensing | None found |
| Article 4 direction for small HMOs | In part of the area Arboretum ward and parts of seven wards inside the ring road, since 3 May 2025 |
Checked October 2026 against Derby City Council's HMO licensing page. Schemes change, so we confirm the position for your address before any work starts.
Derby City Council's Article 4 direction covers Arboretum ward and parts of the wards inside the ring road. Whether a house in Derby needs planning permission to become a small HMO depends on whether it is inside that boundary, which we check for the exact address. Seven or more occupants always needs planning permission. We found no additional licensing scheme in force in Derby City Council, so the mandatory licence for five or more people is the main one to plan for.
HMO licence applications in Derby: what we do
Licensing rules for shared houses in Derby depend on the exact address. Mandatory licensing applies to every HMO with 5 or more occupiers, but additional or selective schemes can bring smaller houses into licensing too. We check which applies before preparing anything, so the application matches the scheme.
For landlords in Derby and across Derbyshire, we prepare the floor plan, collect the certificates and complete the council's form. We follow the application through to a decision, help with any draft conditions and keep a note of the renewal date.
- Licence holder, manager and fit and proper details prepared
- Help with draft conditions, renewals and variations
- Gas, electrical, alarm and lighting certificates collated
- Measured floor plan in the council's usual format
- Check of mandatory, additional and selective licensing at the address
Student and sharer lets in Derby
If the house in Derby 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 licence applications near Derby
- Allestree 1.7 miles
- Littleover 1.7 miles
- Chaddesden 1.8 miles
- Mickleover 3 miles
- Alvaston 3.1 miles
- Belper 6.9 miles