Bassetlaw: mandatory HMO licensing and changing planning controls
Bassetlaw requires a mandatory HMO licence for five or more tenants forming two or more households and sharing facilities. The council's earlier selective-licensing proposal was declined, and no later live additional scheme was confirmed in the official material reviewed. Planning controls are changing around Worksop and Retford, but proposed Article 4 directions are not licensing rules.
The mandatory threshold
Bassetlaw's HMO guidance requires a licence where five or more tenants from two or more households share kitchen, bathroom or toilet facilities. Keep the occupant and household count aligned with the actual tenancy arrangement; a change in who lives at the property can change the licensing position.
The old selective proposal is not a live scheme
The council says its 2018/19 selective-licensing proposal was declined in favour of a Thriving Neighbourhoods strategy. No later live additional HMO designation was confirmed in the official material reviewed. Treat that as the current evidence position, not a guarantee that a future designation cannot be introduced.
Accreditation can reduce the fee
The published HMO fee is £708, split between £495 for Part 1 and £213 for Part 2. A £60 discount is displayed for an accredited landlord and a further £60 discount for a subsequent registered HMO, bringing the displayed total to £588 where both apply. Confirm eligibility and the current schedule before paying.
Keep the register and planning record separate
Bassetlaw publishes an HMO register updated 22 May 2026. The council's material also says more than six occupants require planning permission throughout the district. A Worksop Central direction from 2020 remains operative; directions made on 29 May 2026 for Worksop Central and Retford Station Area were reported as conditional on confirmation, so do not treat them as live until confirmed.
Unverified enforcement routes
The council says it can require corrective action and take legal action for an unlicensed HMO. Current penalty amounts, rent repayment order procedure, Temporary Exemption Notice arrangements and a dedicated address checker were not confirmed in the material reviewed. Every tenancy still needs gas safety, EICR, EPC, deposit protection, Right to Rent checks, working alarms and the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet.
Verify current fees, the HMO register and planning directions via Bassetlaw District Council's official private housing and Article 4 pages. Illustrative guide - schemes and planning controls change; general information, not legal advice.
Renewal tracked from expiry, reminders from 60 days out, proof of service to tenants logged. Knows the 2-month early-renewal rule that keeps your date fixed.
Five years goes quicker than you think. Kept remembers so you don't have to - including the 28-day duty to give tenants a copy.
Expiry tracked from the certificate details you confirm - band E is the current minimum for most domestic private lets unless exempt, and proposed changes are flagged only when they become law.
30-day protection window tracked from the day the money lands - not the tenancy date - with prescribed information logged.
Check dates and follow-up dates for time-limited permissions, stored against each tenant.
Smoke alarms every storey, CO alarms where required, checked and dated at the start of every tenancy.
A one-off duty for tenancies that existed on 1 May 2026. Who was served, when, and how - the £7,000 question, answered with a dated record.
Preparation and export support for the future official registration process - clearly marked as planned.
Selective licensing: No current scheme confirmed. See the local picture above - every other duty applies exactly as it does nationwide.
Add a postcode and Kept resolves the council, location and local context automatically.
Planned preparation and export support for the government's regional PRS Database rollout.