Most of the cost and risk in an HMO is decided at the design stage. In Loughborough we start by measuring every room and checking Charnwood Borough Council's position on licensing and planning, then build the specification around it.
You get one point of contact for the whole job, a fixed price for the agreed specification and a written programme showing when each stage happens.
HMO rules in Charnwood Borough Council
| Rule | Charnwood Borough Council |
|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licence (5+ people) | In force everywhere in England |
| Additional HMO licensing | In force Whole borough, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028 |
| Selective licensing | In part of the area Hastings and Lemyngton wards in Loughborough, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028 |
| Article 4 direction for small HMOs | In part of the area Loughborough, since 12 February 2012 |
Checked October 2026 against Charnwood Borough Council's HMO licensing page. Schemes change, so we confirm the position for your address before any work starts.
Charnwood Borough Council's Article 4 direction covers Loughborough, so turning a family house in Loughborough 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. Charnwood Borough Council also runs additional licensing across its whole area (until 31 March 2028), so smaller HMOs with three or four people from two or more households need a licence too.
Our HMO safety certificate service in Loughborough
Landlords in Loughborough need the same core certificates as anywhere in England: an annual gas safety record, an EICR at least every 5 years and working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Licence conditions often add fire alarm and emergency lighting servicing to the list.
We arrange checks for HMOs in Loughborough and across Leicestershire, book them before they fall due and keep every date in a compliance diary. Where a report needs remedial work, we quote for it straight away so deadlines are met.
- Remedial electrical work quoted to meet the 28-day deadline
- EICRs by qualified electricians, at least every 5 years
- Annual gas safety checks by Gas Safe registered engineers
- Fire alarm and emergency lighting servicing certificates
- Compliance diary with every due date in one place
Student and sharer lets in Loughborough
If the house in Loughborough 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.