Nottingham has around 60,000 students across the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent, driving substantial HMO demand across Lenton, Dunkirk, Beeston, and the Arboretum area. Mandatory HMO licensing applies citywide. Article 4 covers key student areas. This guide explains the rules.
Article 4
Lenton, Dunkirk, Arboretum
~£1,000
Typical mandatory licence fee (5 years)
£30,000
Max civil penalty per offence
~60,000
Nottingham students
Mandatory HMO licensing applies citywide where five or more occupants from two or more households share, sharing at least one basic amenity. Five-year term. Nottingham City Council inspects most HMOs before granting the licence.
Nottingham has used Article 4 Directions across the main student housing belt, including:
Inside the Article 4 area, converting a house to a small HMO needs planning permission. Concentration policy applies.
Mandatory HMO licence around £1,000 for five years; additional HMO around £700 where designated. Discounts for accredited landlords (NRLA, DASH).
Standard conditions: annual gas safety, EICR every five years, smoke and CO alarms, minimum room sizes, fire-safe furniture, written conditions for each occupant. Apply via the council's licensing portal.
From 1 May 2026: ASTs become assured periodic; Section 21 unavailable (use Ground 4A for student turnover); PRS Database registration must include HMO licence number; tenant information leaflet by 31 May 2026.
Penalties: civil penalty up to £30,000, criminal prosecution, Rent Repayment Order up to 12 months, banning orders, Section 8 possession refused.
Nottingham City Council's Housing Improvement team handles HMO licensing applications and planning enforcement. Search "HMO licensing" on nottinghamcity.gov.uk.
Almost certainly. Lenton sits inside a Nottingham Article 4 Direction.
Six to ten weeks for the licence, plus eight to thirteen weeks for any planning permission.
NRLA and DASH (Decent and Safe Homes) accreditation typically deliver a discount.
Yes. From 1 May 2026, use Ground 4A for student HMO turnover. Four months' notice required.
6.51 sqm for a single occupant aged 10 or over; 10.22 sqm for two.
Yes for the licence itself, but it does not cure missing planning permission.
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