Bristol licensing: citywide for small HMOs, five wards for everyone else
Bristol expanded its licensing significantly on 6 August 2024. Additional HMO licensing became citywide from that date, so almost every three- or four-person share in Bristol now needs a licence regardless of postcode. Selective licensing - which catches ordinary, non-HMO lets - remains ward-based, and the wards were added in two waves, in 2022 and 2024.
The five selective licensing wards
Bishopston and Ashley Down, Cotham and Easton came into a selective scheme on 6 August 2024. Bedminster and Brislington West have been covered since 6 April 2022, and in those two wards additional and selective licensing both apply depending on how the property is let. Horfield has additional HMO licensing only. Outside those wards, an ordinary family let or single-household tenancy needs no selective licence - but a small HMO still needs the citywide additional one.
Existing licences do not carry over automatically
This is where Bristol landlords get caught. If you hold an additional HMO licence from one of the earlier ward-based schemes, or previously held a selective licence in Easton, the council requires a fresh application under the current scheme when your existing licence expires. Nothing transfers by default, and the property becomes unlicensed the moment the old licence runs out.
Inspections are part of the deal
Bristol inspects registered properties at least once within the licence period to check compliance with its standards and conditions. That is an officer physically attending and checking - so your gas record, EICR, EPC, deposit protection, alarms and Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet need to be current and findable, not somewhere in an inbox.
Verify your ward and scheme via Bristol City Council's "types of property licence" page and its licence checker. Illustrative guide - schemes and fees 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.
Additional HMO licensing (3-4 occupants): YES - citywide since 6 Aug 2024. 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.