Cambridge City Council has updated its mandatory HMO licence fee schedule for 2026?27. The standard fee is now ?1,133 per application, reduced to ?1,000 for landlords who apply at least eight weeks before their current licence expires.
Updated fee schedule. The following schedule of fees and discounts applies to all applications due from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. The HMO mandatory licence fee is ?1,133. This is reduced to ?1,000 if you apply at least eight weeks before your current licence expires. The fee is paid in two parts: an application fee payable on submission and a grant fee payable on issue of the licence, covering the ongoing management and enforcement of the scheme.
Planning cross-referral. Cambridge City Council sends a list of licenced HMOs to its planning enforcement team every week. Landlords can check their property's planning status, including any applications. If an HMO has seven or more tenants, it requires planning and building control permission. Landlords should therefore ensure that their HMO has appropriate planning consent before applying for a licence, as a missing or refused planning permission can result in a short-term or refused licence.
Cambridge additional licensing context. Cambridge City Council operates mandatory HMO licensing across the city, as well as Additional Licensing in certain designated wards for smaller HMOs. In Cambridge, a licence may be needed if the property is let to three or more unrelated tenants (mandatory HMO licence), the property falls under an Additional Licensing Scheme in designated wards, or the property requires Selective Licensing in future changes. There is no city-wide selective licensing scheme currently in force in Cambridge, though calls for one have been made by local campaigners.
Enforcement and RRA. Cambridge City Council has consistently forwarded licensed HMO data to its planning enforcement team, indicating a joined-up enforcement approach. From 1 May 2026, the RRA increased the maximum civil penalty for housing offences to ?40,000 and extended the RRO window to 24 months. Landlords operating unlicensed HMOs in Cambridge are now exposed to materially greater financial risk than under the previous regime, making timely licence renewal a priority.
Action required
Check your HMO licence expiry date. If it falls within the 2026?27 licensing year, apply at least eight weeks before expiry to benefit from the ?1,000 early renewal rate. Late applications will be charged at the full ?1,133 fee.
Effective
2026-04-01
This content is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. Always verify information against the original source and seek independent professional guidance before acting on any regulatory matter.