East Suffolk · 2026 fees
Landlord licence fees East Suffolk 2026
East Suffolk operates mandatory large-HMO licensing only: a licence is required for any HMO occupied by five or more people forming two or more households. East Suffolk has NOT designated any selective or additional licensing area, so a standard single-family let or small HMO does not need a licence here. The fees below are the council’s own published figures, from its Fees and Charges 2026/27 schedule (section 6.1, dated 29 June 2026): £1,229.90 for a new licence and £1,048.53 to renew, each covering five years.
| Scheme | Council | Fee | Term | Notes / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO (new licence) | East Suffolk Council | £1,229.90Council’s figure | 5 yrs | Up to and including seven lettable units, then £25 for each unit over seven. Made up of Part A (grant of licence) £515.85 and Part B (scheme management) £714.05. Council Fees and Charges 2026/27, section 6.1. Council page |
| Mandatory HMO (renewal) | East Suffolk Council | £1,048.53Council’s figure | 5 yrs | Part A £345.81 and Part B £702.72. Varying an existing licence with no structural changes is free; a pre-application advice visit is £68 an hour. East Suffolk has NOT designated any additional or selective licensing area. Council page |
How to read these East Suffolk licence fees
Which fee applies depends on the type of licence a property needs. Three regimes operate across England, and the schedule above covers Mandatory HMO (new licence) and Mandatory HMO (renewal) in East Suffolk:
- Mandatory HMO licence, required for any house in multiple occupation with five or more people forming two or more households, anywhere in England.
- Additional HMO licence, which a council can extend HMO licensing to smaller shared houses inside a designated area.
- Selective licence, covering most or all privately rented homes (not just HMOs) within a specific designated zone, set in five-yearly cycles.
Fees are set per council, usually run for a five-year term and are commonly charged per property, though some authorities add a per-room element for larger HMOs. Following the Hemming and Gaskin court rulings, many councils now split the cost into a Part A application charge and a Part B grant charge, so the headline figure can be payable in two stages. Early-application and accreditation discounts are widely available and can cut the total noticeably.
Because each authority sets and reviews its own schedule independently, two neighbouring councils can differ by hundreds of pounds for the same property. Budget from the specific council’s current fee page, linked in the table, rather than a city-wide average.
FAQs: landlord licence fees in East Suffolk
How much is an HMO licence in East Suffolk in 2026?
A new mandatory HMO licence costs £1,229.90 for a property with up to seven lettable units, plus £25 for each unit above seven, and renewing an existing licence costs £1,048.53. Both cover five years. The fee is split into Part A, the cost of granting the licence (£515.85 new, £345.81 renewal), and Part B, the cost of running the licensing scheme (£714.05 new, £702.72 renewal). Varying a licence with no structural changes is free. These are the council’s own figures from its Fees and Charges 2026/27 schedule, section 6.1.
Does East Suffolk have selective or additional licensing?
No. As of early 2026 East Suffolk has not designated any selective licensing area (which would cover ordinary single-family lets) or additional HMO licensing scheme (which would cover smaller HMOs). Only mandatory large-HMO licensing applies, which means five or more occupants in two or more households. Always check the council site for changes.
Which properties need an HMO licence in East Suffolk?
Any house or flat occupied by five or more people forming two or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. The number of storeys is irrelevant since the 2018 reform. A licence is required before the property is let as a large HMO; letting an unlicensed licensable HMO is a civil-penalty offence.
What happens if I let an unlicensed HMO in East Suffolk?
Letting a licensable HMO without a licence is an offence carrying a civil penalty of up to £40,000 for offences from 1 May 2026 (or prosecution), and tenants can apply for a Rent Repayment Order of up to two years’ rent.
Can I claim the HMO licence fee as a rental expense?
HMRC generally treats a landlord HMO licence fee as a deductible rental-business expense for income tax where the licence is required to let the property. If the fee spans more than one tax year you may need to apportion it. Check with your accountant for your circumstances.
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